Long Road Home
by vtennis2010
Summary: Lori never misses an episode. When she wakes up in the world of Supernatural, will her fandom knowledge be enough for her to survive? How – and why – did she get here? Set in Season 9, will either run parallel to show or will turn AU. Dean/OC
1. Chapter 1

Lori wiped at her eyes as she shut off the television. It was the fourth time she had replayed the episode, and it never failed to break her heart when Dean kicked Cas out of the bunker. She sighed and shut off the lamp by the couch, heading for the bathroom.

_I really need to learn to take my make-up off before watching that again,_ Lori thought. After swiping a cloth across her face, she braced her arms on the counter and stared hard at her reflection. _And get a haircut while I'm at it._ She raked a hand through her dark auburn hair, struggling to get through the knots. After a few unsuccessful attempts, she gave up and tried pinching a little color back into her cheeks. _And get some sun…_

Lori shook her head. This was always where her thoughts went, and was the main reason why she spent as little time in front of a mirror as possible. Turning away, she flipped on the shower and stripped down, throwing her clothes in the general direction of the laundry basket.

After using nearly all of the hot water her small apartment had to offer, Lori stepped out and once again faced the mirror. She smiled at how the fogged over glass was like a clean slate, waiting for you to draw your own path. _Or draw faces!_ She grinned. Leaning close, she used her thumb to wipe away two small eye holes. Lining up her face, Lori stared at her deep blue eyes as her reflection stared back. If she had the choice of changing her look, this was the one feature she wouldn't touch. A burst of hazel circled each pupil, like mountains meeting a twilight sky.

Lori remembered when she had to argue with her mom about what color to put on her driver's license. Her mom had insisted that her eyes were green, where Lori kept trying to tell her they were blue. The poor guy behind the counter didn't know what to do with himself.

Shaking her head at the memory, Lori glanced down and grinned again, drawing a giant swirling mustache in the fading fog. Chuckling to herself, she wiped a hand across the mirror to erase her artwork and walked to her bedroom.

After dropping her towel in the closet and pulling on her favorite sports bra, Lori dug through her dresser drawers until she found a clean pair of short shorts. Hopefully this would keep her from sweating to death again. She really couldn't wait for the landlord to fix the air conditioning.

Lori flopped on her back and stared at the darkened ceiling above her bed. She turned her head as a soft padding came close and patted the bed next to her. The bed bounced slightly as her Australian Shepherd landed by her side, licking her hand and settling down for the night.

"Good boy, Scout." Lori sighed as her mind once again drifted back to Supernatural. Sam's dog Riot from last season looked uncannily like Scout. Things were so much different now in that world. Scout was always such a reassuring presence in her life, she found herself wondering if the boys would be even just a little less stressed if they had a dog in theirs now. She found herself drifting off to the image of Scout happily chasing a toy around the bunker as the boys laughed along.

Lori squeezed her eyes shut. She was sure if she never opened them, she could just keep dreaming about the Winchester boys. As the last wisps of her dream faded, she sighed and groggily opened her eyes. It seemed darker than usual in her room. She lifted her hand and rubbed at her eyes, trying to press the last of sleep away. She stared up at the ceiling, willing her eyes to adjust to the dim red glow of her alarm clock.

_My clock light is blue._ Lori's eyes snapped open with a sudden alertness. Whipping her head to the right she stared at the unfamiliar clock, on the unfamiliar nightstand, in an unfamiliar room. As her heartbeat quickened, she picked up the faint sound of breathing on the bed next to her. _Please be Scout. Please be Scout. Please be Scout._ She chanted the mantra in her head as she slowly swiveled her head around to the left. Her heart leapt into her throat as she took in the form of a man, apparently still asleep, lying on his stomach just inches away from her.

Lori felt a stifled shriek escape her lips as she rolled away, falling off the bed and scooting back against the wall. She watched the man instantly leap up off the opposite side of the bed. Her eyes dropped to the metal glint of a knife in his hand, and her hand flew up to her mouth, failing to cover up another shriek. Her eyes widened and she sat in shock as the man looked at her on the floor.

He seemed to stare at her for an eternity before slowly walking around the end of the bed towards her. Lori let out a whimper and backed as far into the corner as she could get. She willed her legs to work to she could stand and attempt to get around him to the door. As the man came closer, her eyes darted around, looking for anything she could use to defend herself.

She could barely breathe as the man stopped just in front of her. She watched him reach over slowly and flip on the lamp. As her eyes adjusted to the sudden light, Lori felt her breathe hitch as she stared up at him. Not just any him. _Him._

"Jensen? … Dean?" Lori whispered. She saw his shoulders tense at his name. He narrowed his eyes and crouched down to look her directly in the face. She couldn't help but notice that his knife was poised to react to the slightest movement.

"Who are you?" he asked. Lori suppressed a shiver at the low tone of his voice. She took a few deep breathes to try to steady herself as he waited for her to answer.

"My name is Lori. Is it really you, Dean?" Lori's eyes searched his whole face. There was no mistaking this man. And unless there was some huge prank she was victim of, this was not an actor. This was THE Dean Winchester.

"How did you get in here?" He countered. She realized she wasn't going to get a straight answer about his identity. The Dean she knew from television never trusted anyone who knew him before he knew them, too.

"I – I'm not sure how I got here, Dean. I don't even think this is my dimension anymore."

"What the hell does that mean, not your dimension? You trying to tell me you're the modern day E.T.?" Dean narrowed his eyes at her and leaned over her a little more.

Lori stared up at him. _Where do I even begin? I don't even understand it myself._ "Uhmm, well…" She suddenly remembered an episode from an earlier season. "Do you remember back when you guys were running from Raphael and were sent through one of Bobby's windows into another dimension? Where you and Sam were just actors on a TV show? Well…that's pretty much where I'm from." She took a steadying breath as Dean continued to stare hard at her. "Your actor's name is – was – Jensen Ackles. And Sam's was Jared Padalecki. Cas's actor is – was – Misha Collins. Misha was murdered by one of Raphael's followers, remember that? Dean, where I'm from Supernatural is a real TV show, and those are the actual actors. I have no idea how I got from there to here, I just remember going to bed in my own apartment and waking up here - "

"Alright," Dean said, holding up a hand to stop her from rambling on. "Take a breath there, short stop. You're saying you're from that TV Land dimension, and you just happened to wake up in my bed?"

"I swear, Dean, I have no idea what is going on right now. If I did, do you think I would have screamed like a little girl when I woke up?" Lori pursed her lips, trying to think of some way to make Dean believe her. "Look, run the tests on me! Silver, holy water, the whole nine yards. I promise I'm not some monster."

She watched his face as he continued to look silently at her, calculating his best option. Just when she thought she was going to spontaneously combust under the famous Dean stare, his eyes slid down and a slow smirk grew on his face. Lori furrowed her brow in confusion and looked down, remembering then that she was only in a bright pink sports bra and tiny little shorts. She snapped her head back up and pulled her legs in closer to her chest. _God! If only I had actually listened to myself and tanned, worked out, got my hair cut… _Of all men, to have Dean Winchester checking her out, this was at the top of her list for self-conscious moments.

"Relax…?" Dean paused.

"Lori."

"Right. Lori." Dean pushed off his knees and stood up, offering her a hand. "You sure know how to make a lasting first impression." He pulled Lori to her feet and gave her one last skeptical look. "Let's go find Sammy and talk about this dimension of yours."

Lori sat at one end of the long table, legs curled under her. She rubbed her arm as the brothers sat down on either side of her. "There are a lot more tests than they show on TV" she grumbled.

"So, Lori, you say you're from the dimension where we're just a TV show?" Sam asked for what seemed like the tenth time.

Lori rolled her eyes. "_Yes_ Sam. I've seen things on the show that neither one of you have seen." Dean and Sam shared a look. "Like what?" asked Dean.

"Well, they show things from both of your perspectives on and off, but they also follow Cas. And occasionally we get a sneak peak about what the bad guy boss is doing. Speaking of which, is Crowley still here?"

"What don't they show you guys in your world?" Dean scoffed. A worried look suddenly crossed his face, and he glanced up at Lori.

It was her turn to smirk at him. "Yes, Dean, they've shown you getting it on. Not the good stuff, but there is some serious back porn. And my, you sure keep fit." She winked at him. _Holy shit, am I seriously flirting with Dean Winchester?_ Lori had always been the shy, reserved one. Where was this coming from?

Dean cleared his throat and looked away, sending Sam into a fit of laughter. Lori couldn't help but level the playing field here. "They didn't leave anything out with you either, Sam."

Dean looked up and grinned at his brother, who had stopped laughing but was still trying to force down a smirk. Lori couldn't help but grin right along with them. She looked around at the big open space around her. "So this is it, huh? The bat cave of the Men of Letters."

Sam nodded. "Yep, home base." Dean stood up and made his way to the kitchen, returning with three beers in hand.

"Beer for breakfast?" Sam asked sarcastically. Dean nodded. "Breakfast of champions." He handed one to Sam, then started to hand the second to Lori before pulling it back from her outstretched hand. "Are you even old enough to drink this?"

Lori rolled her eyes. "What are you, my mom? Yes I'm old enough. I turned 23 in July." Dean scoffed. "Whatever, short stop." He handed her the beer and sat back down.

"Hey, I am not that short! I'm five-seven, thank you very much." Lori protested, taking a swig of her beer.

Dean laughed. "Compared to us, yeah you are. I bet if you stood next to Jolly Green Giant over here, you would look like a midget." Sam rolled his eyes at Dean, who just smirked back.

"At least I don't get compared to Rapunzel," Lori shot back at him. Sam nearly spit out his beer, laughing hysterically. "Rapunzel? Seriously? That's what you guys compare me to in your world? I'm not even the one with long hair, he is!" Dean exclaimed, pointing at Sam.

Lori couldn't help but laugh at the offended look on his face. "It's because of your big green eyes and your pouty face," Lori said sweetly, batting her eyes and pouting at him. Sam was nearly falling out of his chair at this point.

Dean scowled at him. "Alright alright, cool your jets man."

"I like her," Sam laughed, wiping away tears from his eyes.

"Yeah yeah, we got it. Anybody hungry?" Dean asked. "How about we get some grub, then we'll get down to business on figuring out how you got here."


	2. Chapter 2

Sam had left to go pick up breakfast, leaving Lori and Dean alone in the bunker. "Do you think I could get a tour of the place?" Lori asked Dean hopefully. _Imagine all the fangirls back in my world that would kill to be in this position!_ Dean shrugged and stood. "Why not?"

Lori followed Dean closely as he walked her through the main level. "This place is huge! They don't show this many rooms on the show," Lori said. Dean smirked over his shoulder at her. "It's not the only thing that's huge that they don't show on TV," he said, winking at her. Before she could stop herself, Lori felt her eyes grazing down his body. Chuckling to himself, Dean turned away and moved on.

They had just circled back to the main room when Dean stopped short. "What is it?" Lori asked, immediately on alert. Dean was quickly to shush her, and they both fell silent. When the noise came again, Lori picked it up as well. "Is that…scratching? It sounds like a dog scratching on a door." Lori sucked in a breath at the thought. _What will happen to Scout? _She groped for a chair to support her, as her knees suddenly felt weak.

"Woah, hey, what's wrong?" Dean asked, grabbing her elbow to steady her. He bent down to search her face for any signs. When Lori looked back up, she was startled by his proximity. She blinked rapidly a few times, trying desperately to remember how to form words.

"Uhmm, yeah. I'm – It's fine, nothing – yeah…" she stammered. _Get your act together, girl!_ Lori scolded herself. "Let's just figure out what's making that noise."

Dean narrowed his eyes, but nodded and released her arm. Reaching behind him, he pulled his gun out from where it was tucked away under his shirt. "Just keep behind me," he said over his shoulder.

Lori wasn't too pleased to be written off as a helpless female, but she couldn't blame him after the show she put on early that morning. Plus, she was unarmed. With a sigh, Lori took up her place behind Dean as they made their way down one corridor. Up ahead, they heard the scratching again.

"It sounds like it's coming from the room next to your bedroom," Lori guessed. Dean nodded. "It's a spare bedroom. Stand back up against the wall so I can open up the door and see what's in there." Lori did as she was told, but made sure to stand where she would still be able to see into the room.

Dean wrapped his hand around the door knob, adjusted his grip on his gun, and ripped the door open. Immediately, a knee-high blur flew out, pushing past Dean. Lori watched in slow motion as the blur came toward her while Dean turned his gun toward it. Recognition dawned on Lori, and she leapt from the wall. "Dean, wait!" She screamed.

Dean looked up, startled. He didn't shoot, but his gun didn't move off the intruder. Lori crouched down and opened her arms wide as the blur barreled into her, knocking her onto the ground. She laughed as her face was licked over and over. "Scout, hey puppy, alright alright, quit licking me!" She sat up and hugged him, scratching him all over as his whole body shook from wagging his cropped tail. "What are you doing here puppy?" She cooed affectionately.

"This thing is yours? Like, from your dimension?" Dean asked from above her. Lori nodded. "Yeah, this is Scout. He must have somehow been transported with me, since he was sleeping next to me on the bed." Lori hugged her dog again, tears coming to her eyes. It was such a relief to have at least one friend here, and to not have to worry about who would have looked after him.

She looked up at Dean to see why he was being so silent. She was met with an uncomfortable glance as he stood rubbing the back of his neck. "What is it?" she asked.

Dean looked pained. "Well, I, uh…I'm not the best with crying women. That's more Sammy's expertise."

Lori laughed. "Don't worry about it, Dean. These are happy tears, no need to try to console me or anything." She stood up and brushed some of the dog hair off her shirt. "Guess we should call Sam and have him pick up some dog food, huh?"

Dean's eyes widened. "You want him to stay here? No way, no pets allowed in my bunker," he said, shaking his head.

"Dean, where do you expect him to go? I'm his only family and he is my only family – that I know of – in this realm." She gasped, and got a hardened look on her face. "We are NOT taking him to the pound!"

"Take it easy there, killer," Dean said, putting his hands up. He sighed and rubbed his eyes with one hand. "Fine, he can stay. But I'm not cleaning up after him!"

Lori clapped her hands. "Oh, thank you Dean!" She leapt forward and hugged him, much to Dean's surprise. She released him and took off down the hall, calling for Scout over her shoulder. Scout bounded after her, leaving Dean staring after them both.

"I got us enough food for the next couple days," Sam called as he entered the bunker, arms loaded with grocery bags. "And why did I need to buy dog food?"

Scout barked once, causing Sam to nearly drop all the bags. "You mean there is really a dog here? Whose dog is it?"

Lori bounded up the stairs to help Sam carry everything down. "He's my dog," she answered happily. Looking around at the grocery bags after carrying them down to the main room, she asked, "Where's the dog food?" Sam dug through one of the grocery bags and pulled out a small 5lb bag of dog food.

Lori shook her head at him. "Man, you must have mistaken me for a purse-dog kind of girl." Turning over her shoulder, she called to Scout. When he came bounding around the corner, Lori saw Sam stop short. "Sam, I know he looks so much like Riot, and I can't imagine what kind of feelings that may bring up for you. I just really hope you can learn to love Scout like you did Riot." Lori said quietly, scratching Scout's ear.

Sam didn't answer, instead crouching down to eye level with Scout. Scout trotted over and stuck his head under Sam's hands, asking to be petted. The corner of Sam's mouth turned up in a smile, and Sam obliged in scratching Scout's head. "Hi there, Scout," he said.

Wanting to let Sam work through his memories, Lori grabbed the remaining grocery bags and headed into the kitchen, nearly running over Dean in the process. "Whoops! Sorry, Dean. Would you mind showing me where all of this goes?"

Dean took a few bags from her and walked her into the kitchen, where they unloaded everything on the counter. Lori grabbed a couple of cans and turned to face Dean, the question already on her face. Dean grabbed her hips and turned her to face one of the cabinets. Lori sucked in a breath at the feel of his hands on her bare skin, hoping he didn't notice.

After reaching up to put the cans in the cabinet, she turned around to find herself mere inches from Dean. Lori looked up into Dean's face, her breathing becoming shallower by the minute. He smirked. "I was right about you being short, short stop."

Lori barely processed the fact that Dean has said anything at all. She was close enough to him to see every faded freckle and every shade of green in his eyes, to smell his unique scent, to hear his shallow breathing. Dean took a step forward and placed his hands on the counter on either side of her, effectively trapping her against the counter.

A shiver traveled down Lori's back as Dean's shirt tickled the skin on her stomach. _Why couldn't I have at least worn a shirt to bed last night?_ Maybe if she knew she would be dimension-hopping overnight, she would have.

Lori couldn't make her mouth form any words, she could only concentrate on what his mouth was doing. She knew she was staring, but the way he parted his lips ever so slightly was just mesmerizing. When his lips curved up into a grin, she knew she had been caught, and looked up into his eyes. "You seem a little distracted," he uttered.

Trapped under his gaze, Lori could only stare up at him. Her nerves were on fire, feeling every little inch of where his shirt grazed over her skin. Dean stared down at her for a few more seconds, then pushed off the counter and turn to finish putting away the groceries.

Lori braced her hands behind her on the counter. _What was that? _She turned to help stack the final groceries in silence, her mind a whirl.


	3. Chapter 3

Lori sat with the brothers at the table, sharing a stack of pancakes and bacon. "I could get used to having a girl in the bunker," Dean said through a mouth full of pancakes. Lori rolled her eyes. "Don't expect me to be your cook. And I'm not a maid, either!" she said, eying the trails of dirt throughout the room.

Dean stopped chewing and grinned through the chewed up food. "Now _that_ is not a bad idea." He winked at Lori, who rolled her eyes. Sam shook his head at his brother. "Dude, I think you're mixing porn and real life again." Dean shrugged. "Can't blame a guy."

When the three had finished eating, Dean and Sam turned to each other, leaning over the table. Lori stared at them, confused, as they both put their hands out, one hand fisted in the palm of the other. _Are they seriously playing Rock, Paper, Scissors?_ "Rock, Paper, Scissors, Shoot!" they called in unison. Dean scowled as Sam crushed his scissor-fingers with his fist.

"Again with the scissors?" Lori smirked. "Even I knew that you would throw that." Sam laughed as he stood up and walked away, Scout trailing behind him. Lori was happy to see that the two had already bonded. She turned to Dean. "So what does that mean you have to do?" she asked.

Muttering to himself about cheating, Dean stood and began clearing the table. "Friggin dish duty," he responded. Lori couldn't help but throw her head back and let out a laugh. Dean Winchester doing dishes was definitely not something they highlighted in the series.

Lori helped Dean carry the dishes to the sink, still chuckling to herself. "Who's the maid now, Dean?" she said, elbowing him playfully in the ribs. Dean looked down at her. "Hey, I look damn sexy as a French maid."

Laughing, Lori set the dishes down in the sink. Dean added his to the pile and grinned at her. "Dibs on drying!" He yelled, throwing an already wet sponge at her.

"Hey!" Lori protested, blocking the sponge from hitting her directly in the face. "I wasn't the one who lost for dish duty!"

Dean nudged her, still grinning. "No, but you carried plates in and that automatically puts you on dish duty with me. Now get scrubbing, short stop!"

_I'm going to turn into a dribbling puddle of mush if he keeps grinning at me like that._ Still, Lori couldn't help but smile at this playful Dean. It so rarely came out in the last few episodes, it was nice to see. If dish washing was all it took to keep him happy, then dish washing is what she would do.

Grabbing the sponge, Lori stuck her tongue out at Dean and turned on the tap. Dean stood close to her, his arm always brushing hers, as he wiped down each newly cleaned plate. Handing him the last plate, Lori watched the muscles in his forearm slowly work as he swirled the towel across the face. She also noticed the little scars he had scattered up his arm.

"You're staring again," Dean said, looking down at her. Lori shook herself out of her reverie and turned away to hide her blush. _Damn my pale skin,_ she thought. "I was not!"

_Wow, why don't you just stomp your foot like a real four year old?_ Lori heard Dean chuckle to himself. She began to step away back toward the main room when she felt a small, concentrated smack sting her behind. Jumping forward, she spun around to see Dean grinning ear to ear, winding up the towel in his hand for his next strike.

He began to step toward her, Lori putting her hands up in protest. "Oh no, that's not fair, I'm unarmed!" Seeing Dean quicken his pace toward her, she squealed and ran from the kitchen, laughing as he raced behind her.

Sam looked up in bewilderment when they skidded to a halt in the main room. "What the hell is going on?" He asked. Lori had both hands over her mouth, trying to suppress another burst of laughter, so she looked to Dean for help. Dean was still grinning and twirling the towel, staring down at her.

Sam held up his hands. "You know what? I don't even want to know." Sitting down at the table, he looked up at Lori. "Ready to figure out what brought you here?"

They had been researching for hours, scouring through books and websites. Nothing they found had fit the profile so far. Lori had been leaning over, softly hitting her head on the table for the past ten minutes. With a sigh, she stood up. Both boys jumped at the sudden scrape of her chair. "I'm going to take Scout outside," she declared. Scout lifted his head from his spot next to her at the sound of his name. When he heard 'outside', he sprang to his feet and started pacing circles around her. Lori ruffled the hair on his head. One thing that never changed was his eagerness to run around and find the day's new adventure.

Lori had been leaning against the wall outside, watching Scout play in the fallen leaves, when she heard the door open behind her. Turning, she saw Sam step up next to her. She gave him a small smile as he stood beside her watching Scout. She turned back around, and they stood in silence for a while.

"You know, he loves playing fetch," Lori said, not taking her eyes away from the dog. "He'll chase a stick or a ball for hours if you're willing to throw it that long." Lori saw Sam look at her out of the corner of her eye. With her boot, she nudged a fallen branch that lay in front of her. Sam smiled, and without a word bent to pick up the stick.

Lori smiled as he stepped forward, calling to Scout. As soon as he saw the stick in Sam's hand, Scout braced himself, waiting to sprint after it in any direction it was thrown. Lori hoped that having a dog around again would really be good for Sam. She turned silently and made her way back into the bunker, leaving the two playing outside.

When Lori walked back into the main room, Dean was nowhere in sight. With a shrug, she made her way to the kitchen to grab another beer. Bending over, she found a stock of bottles in the crisper drawer and pulled one out. With a satisfied smile, Lori stood and shut the refrigerator door. She nearly dropped the bottle when she turned and ran straight into Dean's chest.

"Jesus Dean, make some noise when you enter a room! I almost wasted a whole beer because of you." She smacked his arm as he grinned down at her. "If you're going to drink my beer," he said, "you need to pay for it."

"How am I supposed to pay for it? I don't even have an identity in this world, let alone a job. I mean, I don't want to be a freeloader, but - " she clamped her mouth shut, determined not to ramble on any further. Dean smirked back down at her. "There are other ways to pay," he said.

Lori shivered. The way he was staring down at her made her legs weak. "What did you have in mind?" She asked quietly.

Dean stepped forward, taking the beer out of Lori's hand and setting it down on the counter. Taking another step, he backed her up against the refrigerator. "There are all sorts of things on my mind, short stop," he said, "especially with you running around all day in just this." He slid his hand up her bare arm to her shoulder, playing with the strap of her sports bra.

_Maybe I'm dead_, Lori thought. _I'm dead, and this is my personal heaven._ She found herself staring at his lips again. Dean spoke again, making her jump. "You know, you keep biting your lip like that makes me want to bite it for you." Lori's breath hitched as he leaned down and pressed his lips against hers.

It was like a fire was lit inside of her. Lori slid her hands up behind Dean's head, tangling them into his hair. Their kiss became more urgent, and Dean was soon pressing her against the fridge with his entire body, his hands pulling her hips toward him. Dean's tongue flicked against her lips, and she opened to him willingly, tangling her own tongue with his.

Lori jumped when she heard someone clearing their throat behind them. Dean seemed reluctant to pull away, while Lori frantically tried to smooth her hair back down and took a step away. "What do you want, Sam?" Dean asked, never taking his eyes off Lori.

"Well I came in for a beer and to feed Scout, but you're kind of blocking the fridge. And you're making our guest forget about her own dog." Lori looked up sheepishly as Sam tried to suppress a grin and stepped around them. Scout came wagging up to Lori, oblivious of anything that had just been going on. She crouched down and took his fluffy head in her hands. "You traitor," she cooed at him. "You're supposed to warn me when someone comes in the house."

Standing, Lori turned to face the brothers. Dean was still giving her a smoldering stare, while Sam was chuckling to himself and filling up a bowl of dog food. One brow raised, Dean waved Lori's beer bottle at her. Blushing deeply, Lori snatched the bottle out of his hand and took a few large gulps. Dean winked, making her blush even harder. Lori was sure her face was crimson by now.

Wiping her lips, Lori set the half empty bottle down. "So, how does one go about getting a fake credit card? I could really use a change of clothes." Sam put the bowl down for Scout, who immediately buried his face into it. Brushing off his hands, he turned to Lori. "Not a problem, we can make you one now."


	4. Chapter 4

"Here you go, Ms. Benatar."

Lori smiled and thanked the man behind the counter, grabbing the overly large shopping bag and heading out of the store. Blinking against the sudden sunlight, Lori looked around until she spotted the sleek black of the Impala. Walking through the parking lot toward it, she noticed Dean was laying back in the driver's seat, asleep.

Creeping up to the driver's side window, Lori switched the shopping bag to her left hand and leaned down close to this window. _Oh, this is going to be good._ She took a deep breath, held it for just a second, then let it out in a yell and banged her hand repeatedly on the window. Dean leapt up in his seat, pulling out a gun and whirling it around. Seeing Lori laughing hysterically outside his window, he scowled at her and opened the door, stepping out.

"What the hell? I almost shot you! Are you trying to get yourself killed?" He demanded. By this time, Lori had fallen over laughing and was currently rolling on the pavement clutching her ribs. Her laughter eventually died down enough for her to wipe at her eyes and stand back up, grinning. "Sorry, I just couldn't help myself." She patted his arm. "Just take a few deep breaths before steam starts rushing out of your ears." She stifled another fit of laughter.

Dean just continued to glare at her, so Lori picked up her bag and walked around to the passenger side, throwing it in the backseat. Lori climbed into the front seat as Dean sat back down, still fuming. Starting the car, Dean cranked up the volume on the stereo and pulled out of the parking lot.

They rode in silence until they got out of town. "Thanks for letting me borrow some clothes," Lori said, gesturing to the pale gray sweat pants and baggy t-shirt she was wearing. Dean grunted, staring out at the road. Lori couldn't help but roll her eyes. Was he seriously going to sulk this whole car ride?

"Oh come on, don't be mad at me." She pushed his arm lightly, willing him to look at her. Dean glanced over to her, and she smiled shyly back. Heaving a great sigh, Dean let out some of the tension in his shoulders.

Lori decided to take a chance and unbuckled her seatbelt, sliding over to lean against him. Dean looked down at her, his brows up in mild surprise and curiosity. "I really am sorry, Dean. Forgive me?" Lori blinked up at him.

Dean stared down at her for a few seconds before turning his eyes back to the road. "Don't worry about it, short stop." Lori smiled. If she had her nickname back, then she really was forgiven.

They boys gave Lori one of the spare bedrooms until they could figure out how to send her back home. She stood now in front of the mirror next to her closet door, smoothing down her shirt. If she only had a limited amount of time to spend in this dimension, she was going to spend it looking like she belonged with the boys.

Lori examined her reflection. The jeans she wore hugged her in all the right places, leading down to her new boots. _Right where I would store a knife, if I were actually a hunter._ She had layered her top, going with a plain white v-neck shirt underneath a thin hooded jacket. Lori smirked as she pulled a brown leather jacket over top. _When in Rome_, she thought.

Finally deciding that she looked decent enough, Lori made her way out to the main room. Sam was staring at his laptop screen, while Dean was nose deep in a pile of old books. Dean glanced up as she stopped, then did a double take, staring fully at her. Lori shifted under his intense gaze, feeling self-conscious all over again.

Dean stood up and slowly walked around the table toward her, which finally caused Sam to look up and stare as well. Lori gulped as Dean stopped just in front of her. "What?" she finally asked. Dean let out a small laugh and smirked. "Just admiring the view, short stop."

Lori stood rooted to the spot, blinking up at him. It was like all thought and reasoning went out the window when he looked at her like that. Suddenly, Dean grabbed her arm and turned her around, pushing her back down the hallway. "What…?" Lori stammered.

Dean pushed her a few more steps before stopping abruptly and pushing her against the wall, pressing his body into hers. He bent his head down next to hers, stopping as his lips brushed against her ear. "You make it very hard to concentrate," he whispered in her ear. A shiver ran down Lori's back, her senses heightening at his closeness.

Pulling his head back slightly, Dean looked down at her before crashing his lips down against hers. Lori's response was immediate, grabbing the back of his head and pulling him down against her even more. Dean's hands were once again at her hips, this time sliding one hand down to lift up her knee and curl her leg around his hip.

Lori let out a soft moan against his lips. She pushed her hips up against him and pressed her leg against his butt, pressing him harder against her. One hand still under her thigh holding up her leg, Dean braced the other hand on the wall behind her and broke apart from their kiss, panting. "You make me want to test if these new clothes look just as good on the floor as they do on you," Dean said, his voice low and heavy.

Lori leaned her head back as Dean ducked his head, kissing the sweet spot at the base of her neck. "I think the bedroom floor would appreciate a new set of clothes more than the hallway floor, don't you think?" Lori murmured, glancing back down the hall. She felt Dean's lips pull into a smile against her neck. "Yeah, I don't feel like sharing the view with Sammy, either."

Dean released her leg and stepped back, gesturing down the hall. "Your place or mine, short stop?" Lori smirked. "Surprise me."

Taking her hand, Dean led her down the hall to his bedroom door, pushing it open. "My place it is. Less time we have to waste walking down to yours," he said gruffly, his green eyes shining. Lori walked into the room ahead of Dean, hearing the door shut softly behind them. Dean put his arms around her, backing her up until her legs bumped against the bed. Grabbing her hips, he lifted her up and laid her down across the bed, sliding in on top of her.

Their mouths met frantically as each tried to undress the other as quickly as possible. Before she knew it, Lori was in only her panties with Dean in just his boxers. Her hands were roaming his bare chest as Dean ran his hand over the smooth skin of her thighs and up her sides to her bare breasts. Breaking his mouth away from hers, he cupped one of her breasts in his hand and slide down slightly, blowing cool air over her already erect nipple. Lori arched her back at the sensation, bringing a grin to Dean's face.

Moving his head to the other side, Dean flicked his tongue against her other nipple before sucking it into his mouth. A moan escaped Lori's lips as she writhed under him. Sliding back up, Dean kissed her hard as his other hand snaked down her stomach to her panties. He hooked a finger under one side and pulled, tugging them down before sitting up and pulling them completely off. Adding his boxers to the pile on the floor, Dean climbed back on top of her.

The skin-on-skin contact had Lori's nerves all standing on end, waiting for him. She moved her hand down and grabbed his erect shaft, and was rewarded with a grunt of surprise and pleasure from Dean. Moving her hand up and down his member, she shifted until her hips were directly underneath him.

Dean chuckled. "Impatient, are we?" Lori licked her lips and nodded, pressing her chest up against him. "Well I'm not one to keep a lady waiting," he said as he grabbed Lori's wrist and pulled it away from his shaft. Kissing her roughly, he lowered his hips until he was rubbing up against her quivering center, teasing her. Lori let out another impatient moan and arched her back against him. Giving in to her, Dean shifted so the tip of his member was poised between her legs, and slowly entered her.

Lori leaned her head back, mouth hanging open as he filled her. Dean began a slow rhythm as he continued to kiss and nip at her neck. She clutched at his back, pulling him against her. When he picked up the pace, Lori dug her nails in, drawing a moan of pleasure from Dean. She felt herself tightening around him as he carried her up to her peak. She met him thrust for thrust as she crashed over the edge, arching her back and shuddering in the wake of her pleasure. Dean moaned at the increased pressure around him, and came to his own release with her, thrusting forward once more with a grunt.

Dean laid above Lori, resting most of his weight on his arms to avoid crushing her beneath him. When both of their panting finally died down, he slowly slid out of her and stood. He offered a hand to Lori and pulled her up, where her legs promptly gave out from under her. Catching her against him, he gave her a worried look. She blushed and gave him a shy smile, forcing her wobbly knees to hold up her own weight. "I guess my legs are still riding the aftershock waves."

Smirking, Dean sorted through the clothes they had thrown about the room and handed Lori's to her. She watched him dress as she pulled on her own clothing, trying to drink in as much of this beautiful man as she could. Before pulling on his shirt, he glanced up at her and smiled at her being caught staring again. "I think you're shirt's inside out, short stop," he laughed.

Looking down, Lori immediately blushed and realized that he was right. She hurried to pull her shirt back off and fix it. After smoothing down her now corrected top, she looked back up to see Dean standing in the doorway, fully clothed and halfway out the door. With one last look at her, he turned and walked out, headed back in the direction of the main room.

Lori sat down on the bed, looking down at her hands. _I just became another notch on Dean Winchester's bedpost._ She knew very well how he was with women, how could she have just let him take her to bed the very first day she met him? How could she possibly go back out there and face both Dean and Sam after that? How long would she have to endure the humiliation of being around Dean if she was just another one night stand?

_Well, hiding is only going to make it worse._ Sighing, Lori stood and pushed her arms through her small hoodie and leather jacket, then pulled on each boot. She walked to the door and stopped, turning to survey the room. She would be going back to her own reality soon enough, and wanted to remember as much of this place as possible. With one last glance, she turned and left the room, pulling the door shut behind her.

* * *

_Hey guys thanks for reading, this is my first time writing and it really makes me feel great to know others out there are liking the story enough to follow. I just want to let my readers know that I've just had a death in the family, so please don't be mad at me if there isn't another update today or tomorrow. I really am striving to keep this story updated as much as possible, and I don't want to keep you all waiting more than every other day. Thanks again for the encouraging words, and if you have comments or suggestions feel free to let me know!_


	5. Chapter 5

Lori took a deep breath before rounding the corner to the main room. Sam looked up at her, his lips pursed and brow furrowed. Lori winced inwardly at the pity on his face. Without turning her head, she could see Dean sitting across from his brother at the table, head buried back in a book. This time, he never even glanced up. Lori looked down and strode quickly past the table to the kitchen, Scout jumping up and trailing along behind her.

Lori braced her arms on the counter and leaned heavily onto it. _Keep it together, girl_. With a shaky breath, Lori turned to the fridge and grabbed what was left of the morning's bacon. She turned and smiled at Scout, who had sat down directly behind her and was immediately on his best behavior. Lifting one of the few remaining pieces of bacon off the plate, she broke one end off and offered it to Scout. He grabbed it readily and barely chewed before swallowing it whole, wagging his tail for another piece.

After tossing a second piece up for Scout to catch, Lori turned and started digging through the cabinets until she found what she had been looking for. Grabbing it, she slide down to sit on the floor, watching Scout watch her. Lori tossed him the last piece of bacon. With a sigh, she opened the bottle in her hands, taking a swig and screwing up her face at the strength and heat of the liquid. Scout let out a small whine and padded over to her, laying down with his head in her lap.

They sat together for some time, Lori petting Scout's head and taking periodic swigs of the bottle. The drink was calming Lori's nerves considerably, and she was just working up the courage to stand back up and do something when Sam walked in, looking around until he spotted her on the floor. He crossed the kitchen to her in three quick strides and bent down, gently taking the bottle from her hands. He put the bottle on the counter and sat next to her, giving her a worried stare. "Are you alright?"

Lori couldn't bring herself to look at him. She couldn't imagine what he thought of her now. She had just been effectively ding-dong-ditched by his brother in less than 24 hours, and was hiding in the kitchen sneaking Whiskey like a teenage girl. Setting her mouth in a hard line, she finally turned to him. "I need to leave."

Sam looked taken aback by her words. "Leave? Leave where? We've already found out that your home doesn't even exist in this dimension, where do you expect to go? Look, I know my brother can be a huge douche, but please..." He glanced down at Scout in her lap, making Lori's heart twinge in guilt. "Stay at least until we can figure out what brought you here." Sam stared at her, jaw working as he waited for her to respond.

Lori struggled to come up with a logical reason to justify herself to Sam. Even with her desperate need to put some distance between her and Dean, she couldn't bring herself to take Scout away from Sam. They had already forged a bond in such a short time, and she knew that if she took Scout away now she would be leaving Sam in a worse state than when she first appeared here. She rubbed her eyes with her hand and sighed. Looking back at Sam, she could see his face had relaxed a bit, seeing that she had relented.

"Alright, but only until we can figure out some lead," she stressed. Sam nodded in response, and she continued. "Can I at least just take a trip up to Michigan? I know we couldn't find anything that said my house ever existed but I just need to see it for myself... and by myself." She could see Sam about to protest, so she held up a hand. "I know you think that I'm just making up something so I can run off, but I promise that I fully intend to come back. Scout can stay here, so you know for sure that I'll be back." With every word, Lori felt more desperate to see what her home town looked like, and what stood in place of her old home. "Three days, that's all I'm asking. Please, Sam."

Lori waiting what seemed like an eternity before Sam answered her. "I can't stop you, Lori. But I also can't speak for my brother. If he gives the go ahead, then I'll help you pack up one of the old cars we have sitting around here." Lori groaned, knowing full well that Sam was going to make her ask Dean herself. "Can't you just go tell him for me?" Sam shook his head and gave a small smile. He stood, causing Scout to stand as well and look around for the next pile of treats. Sam helped Lori up, then walked ahead of her back into the main room.

* * *

"You're kidding, right?"

Dean sat staring at Sam and Lori. When neither answered, he scoffed. "No. We don't know what brought you here or why, and you just want to run off?" He turned to his brother. "Sam, are you insane? You thought this was fine?" Sam shrugged, making a face.

Lori decided enough was enough. "Dean, I'm going whether you like it or not. I'm not a child and you can't force me to stay." She looked away quickly as he swept his gaze over to her, her courage faltering. She just wasn't quite ready to face him head on yet. Lori stood fidgeting next to Sam, looking anywhere but at Dean. The scraping of Dean's chair seemed to reverberate throughout the entire room as he stood and walked slowly around the table to stand in front of her. He stood silently, unmoving, until Lori finally looked up at him.

His jaw was working, and he was definitely angry. "Do you wanna run that by me again?" he said darkly. Lori shrunk down under his intense gaze. She knew it was foolish, she just needed to clear her head and wanted so bad to see the place where her home should stand. She swallowed. "It's only for three days. I told you, I'm leaving Scout here so you can be sure I'll be back."

"That's not good enough." Dean said, leaning farther over her. "What if you run into trouble while you're hundreds of miles away? What if the thing that brought you here decides it doesn't like you running off, huh? What happens then?" Lori stood staring up at him, feeling more and more stupid with every word. Stupid for trying to leave, stupid for trying to ask Dean's permission.

"Dean, I..." Lori faltered, not knowing of any way to convince him otherwise. "Please," she asked, her voice breaking. Dean stared hard down at her, unwavering. She swallowed hard, determined not to completely crumble underneath him. Pursing her lips, she nodded and looked away. "Alright. Alright, I'll stay." Dean raised his head, apparently satisfied with her answer. Lori turned and walked quickly past him out of the room and down the hall to her spare bedroom. Whistling, she waited for Scout to come bounding up to her before stepping inside and softly shutting the door behind her.

Heaving a great sigh, Lori shrugged off her jacket and threw it over the desk chair. She kicked her boots into the corner of her room and stepped out of her jeans. In just her t-shirt and underwear, Lori crawled on top of the bed, curling up into a ball. She lay staring blankly at the wall for some time. What brought her here? Why didn't she have a home in this dimension? How did she let Dean get so under her skin already?

She could still feel the humiliation of him treating her like a child for even suggesting leaving. She remembered the hurt she felt from earlier when he had simply walked out after they had made love. _That wasn't making love, you idiot. That was just easy sex for him._ Lori felt her lip start to quiver. Scout whined, jumping up on the bed and thrusting his nose under her arm. He laid down against her, letting her squeeze him tight.

She willed herself not to cry. Crying was for children and the weak. Sure, she was thrown into this world completely alone. Sure, she may not ever see her family again. Sure, she may just be another episode, playing the part of damsel in distress who sleeps with the hero and gets her heart broken when he leaves for the next adventure.

She hoped desperately that they would figure this out and send her home before she was too far lost. Did anyone notice she was missing from her own world? Had any time even passed there? What would her family think had happened to her if the boys couldn't send her back? Would every trace of her in that world fade away, until no one even remembered her name? The tears came, and didn't stop until Lori was sure she had nothing left in her.


	6. Chapter 6

Lori awoke with a start. She remembered falling into a heavy, dreamless sleep sometime late last night, and had no idea how long she had been sleeping since. Rolling over, she noticed she had apparently gotten under the covers last night. She reached over to the nightstand and flipped on the lamp. She didn't remember shutting off the lights, either. She rubbed her eyes and sat up, swinging her legs off the side of the bed. With a groan, she stood and made her way to the closet, pulling on a pair of jeans and a new shirt.

Pulling her hair back into a ponytail, Lori swiped at her eyes one last time before opening the bedroom door and stepping out. She walked slowly toward the main room, still groggy from sleep. Rounding the corner, she was greeting immediately by Scout, who had found an old sock to play with. She knelt down and tugged on the sock, eventually letting go and watching him run off in triumph.

Standing back up, it occurred to her that she definitely hadn't let Scout out of the room before going to bed last night. Blinking in confusion, she looked up to see Dean leaning back in a chair, staring at her. Sam was nowhere in sight. Lori swallowed and walked into the room, aware of his eyes as he followed her movement. She quickened her pace and retreated to the kitchen, hoping to find some food to quiet her angry stomach.

Digging through the cabinets, Lori pulled out some macaroni, a loaf of bread, and a jar of peanut butter. Mentally crossing her fingers, she searched through the fridge until she found a half empty bottle of strawberry jam. Smiling in success, she turned and started preparing what she assumed to be lunch. This had been one of her favorite meals growing up. She remembered demanding that her mother make it for lunch nearly every day during her early summers, always calling it PB&Mac.

Tossing her sandwich and some macaroni on a plate, she turned and nearly ran into Dean. "Dammit Dean, I thought we talked about you making noise when you walk somewhere." She clutched at her chest, willing her heartbeat to return to normal. She looked up at him when he didn't respond. He seemed to be studying her, and she quickly looked away. "There's some more macaroni on the stove. And bread for a sandwich, if you want." Lori slipped around him and hurried back out to the main room, sitting down at the table.

Lori was halfway through her sandwich when Dean returned, carrying his own plate. She had deliberately sat as far away from his original seat as possible, so she was surprised when he strode up and took the seat directly next to her. She looked over at him, waiting for what he had to say. Dean picked up his sandwich and took a large bite, not looking at her. Lori shook her head and returned to her own meal.

She jumped when Dean threw his sandwich back down on the plate, causing it to rattle. He turned his chair until he was facing her completely, and leaned his arms on his knees. Lori gulped and set down her fork, unsure of what he wanted her to say. Did he want her to say something? He was very close and it was making it hard to think logically.

"You didn't leave." He said simply. Lori blinked in confusion. She wasn't sure what she had expected him to say, but it wasn't that. "Didn't I say I would stay?" She furrowed her brows in question, not understanding what he meant.

Dean shook his head. "I know you said that, but I didn't believe you would last the whole night." He looked away, suddenly uncomfortable. Lori gaped at him. Did he expect her to run off in the middle of the night? Realization struck her, and she sat back. "You came into my room last night, didn't you? To check on me. That's why Scout was gone, and the lights were off, and I was under the covers." She blushed as she remembered that she had slept with no pants on.

He had actually tucked her in to bed last night. Why didn't he just peek in to see if she was still there? Did that mean he actually cared more than he let on? "How...How long were you in there?" She gave him a worried glance, wondering if he saw any of her crying.

"Relax, you were asleep when I came in." He sighed. "I could tell, though." He looked up at her then, trying to find answers in her face. "Why did you cry?" he asked softly.

Lori swallowed, taking in the tenderness on his face. "I...It was just a lot to adjust to in one day." Dean pursed his lips and stared, seemingly waiting for her to continue. "I don't know Dean, I mean I wake up in an entirely different universe with no idea how or why or what's happening back in my own world, then the thing with you, and-" her breath hitched. She looked down at the table, playing with the fork on her plate.

After a few moments of silence, Dean reached over and took the fork out of Lori's hand, setting it back on the plate. When she dropped her hands into her lap, Dean leaned forward and cupped a hand around her face, pulling gently until she looked at him. He kept his hand on her cheek as his green eyes met her blue. "You were so upset because of me?" he whispered.

Lori bit her lip. Dean seemed almost hurt by what she said, and it was shattering her resolve. "No, I didn't mean it like that-"

"But it's true," he cut her off. "I'm the one who made you stay instead of leaving to search for some trace of your old life. I'm the one who hasn't been able to find a way to help you get back, or even figure out why you were sent here in the first place. I'm the one..." He paused. "Did you not want to do that with me? If I pressured you into something you didn't want..."

"No! No, it was definitely something I wanted. I just..." she trailed off, looking down at her hands. "I didn't want you to think of me as just some easy sex that plopped into your bed one morning," she muttered.

Dean put his other hand up, holding her face between his hands and forcing her to look at him again. "Is that why you were upset? You thought that's how I saw you? Lori, if I saw you as only that, I wouldn't be sitting here right now trying to get you to look to me." Leaning forward, he pressed his lips lightly against hers. Pulling back just slightly, he looked deep into her eyes. "Do you believe me?" he breathed.

Unable to speak, Lori simply nodded slightly. Her answer must have been good enough, as Dean leaned forward and kissed her tenderly again. Lori felt her heart reaching out, clutching at the seeds of hope he had planted in her with his words. She felt his thumb gently caressing her cheek as they kissed slowly. Her own hands slid around his collar and up the nape of his neck, swirling slightly in his hair's softness.

When Dean finally broke away, he stared back into her eyes, searching for confirmation that all was indeed forgiven. Lori gave him a shy smile, and the corner of Dean's lip twitched up in response. Giving her cheek one last stroke, Dean dropped his hands and returned to his meal. Lori couldn't help but smile. There were so many sides to this man she once had believed to be fictional.

After remembering his heartbreak with Lisa, Lori told herself that she shouldn't get her hopes up too high. She resolved to just enjoy what time she could get with him, and be content with her memories when she finally did make it back to her own world. She knew Dean had so much love to give, and that he just expressed it rarely and in his own way. In a way she felt honored that he went through the effort to comfort and reassure her so tenderly.

They had both just finished their meals when Sam came through the front door, Scout bounding ahead of him. Lori looked up and grinned. "You got him a ball!" she clapped, watching Sam lightly toss a tennis ball in his hand. At the word 'ball', Scout raced around the room, searching for where this new ball was hiding. Sam laughed and walked down to stand beside Lori and Dean. "Well I didn't want to bring a stick inside, so I had to come up with something else. And I was sick of him stealing my socks."

Lori grinned as she watched Sam fake-throw the ball for Scout, who took off down the hallway. Shaking her head, she turned to Dean. He raised an eyebrow down at her, a smile tugging at his lips. Lori smirked and held up her hands, one fisted in the palm of the other. Dean grinned and matched her stance. "Rock. Paper. Scissors. Shoot!" Lori yelled triumphantly as she crushed Dean's scissors with her fist. "You are so predictable," she teased.

"Oh yeah?" Dean challenged. He stepped forward and locked his arms behind her, crushing her against him and pushing his lips to hers. Lori let out a squeak of surprise and braced her hands on his biceps, then kissed him back with equal gusto.

"Oh, come on guys, I'm standing right here!" Sam exclaimed. The two broke apart, Lori giggling and Dean resting his forehead against hers. "How's that for predictable?" Dean whispered to her, ignoring his brother. Lori grinned up at him. "I'll just have to learn to expect the unexpected."

Dean kissed the tip of her nose before releasing her and picking up their dishes. "You only won because I let you!" he yelled over his shoulder as he carried them into the kitchen. Lori grinned at his retreating back. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad staying here after all.


	7. Chapter 7

"There is no way in hell you are making me stay here."

The boys had needed a break from searching for information on Lori's situation, and found a case a few hours away in Oklahoma. She would be damned if they made her stay and twiddle her thumbs until they got back. "Either I'm coming with you, or I'm going to Michigan."

Dean shouldered his weaponry duffel bag and turned to her. "How many times do I have to say it? You could get killed being with us on the case, and you could get killed even faster by running off alone. If I have to chain you to a chair like Crowley to make you stay here, then so help me, I'll do it."

Lori crossed her arms. "And let me slowly die of thirst? Gee, I guess I can take my pick of ways to die," she scoffed. "Hmm, and they're all so appealing..." she mocked, tapping her chin as if in thought.

Dean narrowed his eyes, stepping toward her. Sam, who had be standing awkwardly to the side, thrust his arms between them and pushed them apart. "Hey, enough!" he said, looking back and forth between the two. He settled his gaze on Lori. "Dean's right that you could get killed out there. Your world is so much different than ours, it's just not safe."

Sam held up a hand when Lori opened her mouth to protest. He turned his head back to his brother, who had a smug look on his face. "But we can't just force her to stay here." Dean's eyes shot to his brother's. "Are you nuts, man?"

Shaking his head, Sam continued. "Dean, if we try to make her stay she is just going to steal one of our cars and leave anyway -"

"Then we take every damn key there is in this place," Dean interrupted.

"I'll hitchhike my way there if I have to!" Lori interjected. Dean glared at her.

"If we take her with us, at least we can keep an eye on her," Sam finished. Dean's jaw worked as he stared at Lori. She stared back, eyes narrowed. _There is no way I'm backing down again._ Sam shifted uncomfortably as the silence stretched out, neither giving in.

"Fine. You come with us, but you have to do every goddamn thing I tell you. I won't even think twice if I'm forced to hogtie you and keep you in the trunk," Dean said, waving a finger at her.

"I get it, Dean!" Lori interrupted. A smile broke out on her face. "I'll go pack a bag." She turned and walked away, refraining from skipping as she went to her room. Throwing some clean clothes into a backpack, she hurried back out to the main room. Sam stood alone, and turned at her approach. Lori smiled at him. "I'll grab what's left of Scout's food and we'll be all set to leave."

Sam's eyes widened. "Aw crap. I forgot about the dog. Dean isn't... Well, it's gonna take even more to convince him to let Scout in the car than it took to let you come with us."

* * *

"I can't believe I have a friggin dog in my car." Dean's grip worked over the steering wheel as they drove down the freeway.

Lori smiled smugly from the backseat. It had taken a great deal of arguing, but her persistence had eventually outrun Dean's stubbornness. Scout was laying with his head in her lap, snoring softly. Leaning forward in her seat, she reached up and ruffled the back of Dean's hair, causing him to immediately lean forward and spout out profanity in protest. Laughing, Lori sat back. "I knew you were a dog person at heart, Dean!" She grinned even more has Dean continued to grumble to himself.

Sam chuckled and looked out his passenger side window, watching the scenery flash by. Lori decided that she might as well give Dean a break before he drove them straight off the road in fury. She settled down in her seat, leaning her head against the window and watching the evening light slowly fade as they made the drive to Oklahoma. Growing bored, Lori began softly humming, picking up a rhythm by drumming her hands on her legs.

"Kansas?" Lori broke from her reverie and looked up to see Dean watching her in the rear view mirror. "I didn't take you for classic rock."

Lori blushed. "Well, I first got into it because of your show. I gotta say, though, I'm hooked. Plus that song is pretty much your guys' theme." Lori watched a smile tug at Dean's lips. "Well, they could have picked worse," he shrugged, a smirk breaking through as he turned back to the road.

* * *

Lori helped the brothers unload their gear from the Impala into their motel room. They had already eaten dinner at a local diner and night had fallen. Shouldering her backpack, Lori shut the trunk and adjusted her grip on Scout's leash. "That's the last of it."

Dean nodded. "Alright, we'll meet for breakfast in the morning and then start figuring out this case." He turned, swinging the room key around one finger as he walked up to their door. Sam paused before following his brother. "You have our main cell numbers if you need anything, and you know where to find us." He patted her shoulder. "See you in the morning." Scratching behind Scout's ear, he turned and walked to where his brother was waiting in the doorway.

"Thanks Sam, goodnight," she waved at him. "Night-" the door to their room shut, cutting her off. "Night, Dean," she mumbled to herself. Turning, she pulled her own room key out of her pocket and made her way to the room they had booked for her just a few doors down. She unclipped Scout's leash once they were inside, tossing her backpack on top of the small dresser. She shrugged off her jacket, hanging it up on the hook next to the door and kicking her shoes off underneath.

After setting out a small amount of dog food and water in paper bowls for Scout and turning on the TV for some background noise, Lori made her way to the bathroom and turned on the shower. She let the steam heat her up as she undressed and combed out her hair. Stepping into the shower, she lifted her head and stood still as the hot water cascaded over her body.

Lori stepped out of the shower when the water finally started to turn cold, her fingertips wrinkled from the long exposure. She grabbed one of the towels from the rack and bent over, tousling her hair until it no longer dripped. Grabbing a second towel, she heard a bark from Scout in the bedroom. She paused, then slowly wrapped the towel around her body and stepped toward the closed bathroom door. _I swear, if I end up like those cheesy horror movies where the girl in just a towel dies at the beginning of the story..._

Lori shook her head and grasped the handle, taking a deep breath before twisting slowly. With the door opened just a crack, she peered into what she could see of the bedroom. At first she couldn't see much of anything, until Scout suddenly appeared right in front of the door, wagging his tail in greeting. With a sigh, Lori pushed open the door and rubbed his head. "Don't scare me like that, Scout! You made me think someone was here," she scolded.

Scout hung his head for a few seconds before perking right back up and trotting away. "Did you see another dog on the TV? Or maybe a squirrel outside the window?" Lori stepped toward the bed where she had laid out some clothes to sleep in. A chill slowly ran down her spine as she sensed another presence. She whipped back around to face the front door.

"Man, I was hoping for a little show," Dean smirked. He was leaning against the wall near the front door, hands in his pockets and one foot propped up on the wall.

Lori struggled to control her heart rate. "Christ Dean! Do you have some bet on how long it takes to send me into cardiac arrest? How did you even get in here, did they give you a spare key when you checked in?"

Dean remained silent. He pushed off the wall and strode slowly up to her, stopping only inches away. He stared down at her, trapping her like a deer in headlights. Lori caught the scent of fresh body wash mixed in with his natural musk. His hair was noticeably darker, still damp from his recent shower. He stood so he wasn't touching her, but that any subtle movement he made would quickly change that.

Lori stood with one arm across her chest holding up her towel, unable to move. Her heartbeat spiked when Dean leaned minutely forward, taking in a deep breath and closing his eyes. "Your hair smells delicious," he said lowly, opening his eyes and looking back down at her. Lori felt her knees tremble slightly at his words.

They continued to stare at each other, Lori frozen in place. After a pause, Dean slowly reached up and grasped the hand that was holding up her towel, pulling it down gently toward her side. She put up no resistance, allowing the towel to fall to the ground around her feet. With both hands now at her sides and nothing to cover her body, Dean released her hand and let his eyes roam her.

When he looked back up into her eyes, Lori felt her privates clench at the lustful look in his eyes. She swallowed. "You seem to have me at a disadvantage," she said softly. A slow smirk spread across Dean's face as he spread his arms, holding his hands out to the side and offering himself to her.

Lori put her hands up and rested them on Dean's chest, sliding them down until she reached where the hem of his shirt met the waist of his pants. Gaining confidence, she hooked one finger between his jeans and bare skin, sliding slowly back and forth across the top. She smirked when she heard his breath hitch. Slowly withdrawing her finger, she pushed both hands under his shirt and up his chest, pulling it over his head.

Taking a step back, she admired how sexy this man was in just a pair of jeans. Hearing a rustle by the foot of the bed, Lori looked down and spotted Scout staring at the two of them. She quickly called to him and ushered him into the bathroom, cooing and reassuring him as she shut the door. Turning around, she watched Dean cross to her in three long strides, pushing her up against the wall. His hands ran the length of her arms as he raised them above her head, kissing her neck. She leaned her head back, moaning in pleasure.

Pulling her hands from his grasp, Lori groped for his belt buckle. Dean lifted his lips to hers, kissing her frantically as she pulled his jeans over his hips, releasing his excited member. In one swift move, he grasped her under her thighs and lifted her up, wrapping her legs around him and pinning her against the wall. Lori moaned loudly as he pushed into her.

Her cries of ecstasy grew louder as he picked up his tempo, thrusting fully into her with every pump. Her breasts bounced against his bare chest, adding to the sensations coursing through her body. She felt her core tighten around him as she exploded, calling out his name at her climax. With three final pumps Dean came to his own climax, burying his head into the nape of her neck.

They remained frozen in place as they both tried to control their panting. After the waves of aftershock died down, Lori leaned her limp body against him, head resting on his shoulder. Dean shifted his hips to slowly remove himself from inside her, making Lori whimper at the sudden emptiness. Still holding her up, he carried her to the bed and gently laid her down, cradling her head with his hand. She sank gratefully into the softness, unsure as to whether she would have been able to stand after that workout.

Straightening, Dean pulled his jeans back over his hips and fastened the belt. Lori watched him turn and walk to the bathroom door, opening it and releasing Scout from what she was sure he had considered a temporary prison. Scout bounded to her and licked her outstretched hand, as if accepting her apology for locking him in there.

Dean walked back up to the bed and picked his shirt up off the floor. Before putting on his shirt, he stopped and turned to Lori, sitting down on the bed next to her. Leaning over her, he kissed her forehead gently. Lori closed her eyes, tilting her head up to him. Dean pulled his head back and looked at her, a softness to his eyes and expression. Lori blinked, trying to freeze this image of the caring side of Dean in her mind.

"I don't want you to think I came here just for the sex again," he whispered to her. A smile played on his lips. "Though I'm definitely not going to complain."

Lori smiled up at him mischievously. "So you broke into my room for a totally legit reason, right? Just wanted a late night heart-to-heart?"

Dean rolled his eyes exaggeratedly. He leaned forward and planted a soft kiss on her lips. "So maybe I was hoping for a little something else," he admitted. "I just don't want you to get upset over it again. I meant it when I said that's not how I see you." He looked into her eyes, genuine concern on his face.

"I'm not upset, Dean, I promise." Lori put a hand up against his cheek. "Very satisfied, but not upset." She traced his lips with her finger, smiling warmly at him. Dean puckered his lips against her finger in response. Staring up into his eyes, Lori blushed. She was still quite naked, after all.

Dean smirked, seeming to know exactly what she was thinking. He leaned over the bed, picked up the clothes she had set out earlier and tossed them across the room. "Hey!" Lori cried out in protest, smacking his arm and giggling. He grinned down at her. "I think you would sleep a lot better naked," he said with a wink.

"But I can't fall asleep if I'm too cold," she pouted at him. Dean looked at her a moment before shifting so that he was laying on his back next to her. He raised an arm up, inviting her to lay against him. Lori blinked at him, shocked. After a second's pause, she smiled shyly at him and curled herself into his side, resting her head against his chest. His arm wrapped around her back, pulling her closer to him. He leaned his head down and kissed the top of her head. "At least until you can fall asleep," he murmured into her hair.

Lori sighed, letting his warmth seep into her. She still couldn't comprehend that he had actually stayed for her, even if it was just until she fell asleep. She willed herself to not read too far into his gesture, and to just appreciate that he found her attractive enough in the first place. Dean's fingers made slow, soft circles on her back, quickly lulling her into a deep sleep.


	8. Chapter 8

Lori woke up with a start, someone knocking on her door. Lifting her head, she quickly took in her surroundings. She was tucked neatly under the covers of her motel bed, still nude. A pair of jeans and comfy t-shirt were folded and placed on the nightstand next to her, her towel from the night before hanging on the open bathroom door. She smiled, knowing Dean must have done all of that before he left last night.

The knocking came again at her door, a little louder this time. "Just a minute!" Lori called out, swinging her legs off the bed and standing up. She grabbed the shirt and jeans, blushing when a black lace thong and matching bra fell out from underneath. Hearing the knocking start up again, she grabbed them and slipped them on, pulling her jeans and t-shirt on over them.

Lori ran a hand through the tangles of her hair as she strode over to the door and yanked it open, blinking in the sudden sunlight. When her eyes adjusted, she saw Sam standing in front of her in his suit, hands in his pockets. "Sorry, it's just that Dean gets really cranky when something keeps him from getting breakfast." He looked over his shoulder to where Dean was already in the Impala, tapping his fingers impatiently on the steering wheel. "Are you ready to go?"

"Just let me set out some food and water for Scout and brush my teeth, then I'll be good to go," Lori said to him. Sam nodded and turned, walking back to the Impala. Lori shut the door and blew out a breath. She was barely even awake, let alone hungry.

After cleaning herself up a bit and giving Scout plenty to keep himself occupied, Lori grabbed her room key and headed out the door. She climbed into the backseat, barely having enough time to close the door before Dean was pulling out of the parking space.

They pulled into a local diner that advertised all-you-can-eat pancakes and bacon. Dean grinned in anticipation, following Sam and Lori into the diner and sliding in the booth next to Lori. Lori looked around, smiling at the retro feel. She saw a petite blonde waitress adjust her skirt and reach up to unbutton part of her blouse, fluffing up her hair before turning and walking to their table. The waitress put on a dazzling smile and glanced over Sam and Lori, settling her gaze on Dean. "What can I get for ya?"

Dean looked up and gave her his patented panty-dropping half smile. "I'll have the special..." he looked down to her chest. "Stacy." He looked back up, smirking at the blush rising up on her face. She smiled silkily back at him. "You got it, handsome." The waitress continued to stare at Dean, forcing Lori to loudly clear her throat.

"French toast and a coffee for me, please," Lori said, leaning forward to try and break into the waitress's current line of view. The blonde looked up at her, her smile fading into a slight sneer. She wrote down the order and turned to Sam without a word, her smile returning as she took his order. After writing it all down, she returned her gaze to Dean and smiled sweetly. "I'll have that right out to you," she said, placing a hand on his arm before walking away, swinging her hips almost ridiculously.

Lori rolled her eyes and looked over a Dean, raising her brow in an 'are-you-serious?' manner. Dean grinned and held up his hands. "What? The nice lady was just taking our order." He laughed when Lori punched his arm, Sam just smiling and shaking his head.

Sam and Dean started speculating about possible creatures that could have turned the taxidermist into a human pretzel, bringing them to Oklahoma in the first place. Lori sat quietly listening, recognizing some of the monsters mentioned from previous episodes and trying to wrack her brain for any others the TV show had covered that might fit.

The waitress soon returned with their food and drinks, setting her tray down on the stand she had carried over. She picked up a plate full of pancakes stacked a foot high and placed it in front of Dean. "Here you are, darlin'. And we certainly can't forget the most _delicious_ part," she said, turning and grabbing a side plate with at least half a pound of bacon. "The meat," she said lowly, staring hard at Dean. The smirk on Dean's face grew, causing both Sam and Lori to groan.

She quickly placed Sam's plate and coffee in front of him and grabbed Lori's plate of french toast, leaning forward extra far to place it on the table so her cleavage was almost touching Dean's nose. Dean sat blinking in surprise when the waitress straightened, smoothing down her blouse. She placed a hand on Dean's arm, smiling wide. "Enjoy," she said, retreating back to the kitchen.

Lori and Sam were both gaping at Dean. "Did... Did she really just shove her chest in your face?" Sam asked. Dean grinned and picked up his fork, cutting into his mile-high stack of golden pancakes and avoiding the question. Lori shook her head, picking up her own fork and looking down at her plate. She sat unmoving, staring unhappily at her plate. The waitress had given her almost all butt ends of bread that were very much shriveled and burnt. Grimacing, Lori reached over and lifted up a short, curly black hair off one of the pieces.

She dropped it immediately and gagged, her imagination taking her to horrible places. "That better not be from where I think it is," she said, gagging again. "And I didn't even get my coffee!" she exclaimed, throwing up her hands. She sat back against the booth, pushing the plate forward and dropping her hands into her lap. "You would think she didn't like me very much," she said sarcastically.

Sam smiled apologetically at her, sliding his coffee forward. "You can have my coffee."

"Thanks, Sam," Lori muttered, accepting the coffee. She looked up to see a pained look on his face, his features contorting. "Are you okay?" She asked worriedly.

Sam sat working his face for a few seconds before bursting out laughing, wiping tears from his eyes. Lori sat back and crossed her arms, narrowing her eyes at him. She noticed Dean's shoulders shaking with silent laughter as well. Lori pursed her lips, glaring between them.

The brothers had just started to calm back down when they made eye contact and roared with another round of laughter. This time, Lori couldn't help but start laughing right along with them. It was downright contagious when these boys were in a good mood. By the time the laughter had died down, Lori was clutching her sides and Sam was wiping tears from his eyes. "I didn't think that kind of stuff actually happened in real life," he said breathlessly.

Dean slide his plate of pancakes over so it sat between him and Lori, gesturing with his fork that she was welcome to share. Lori smiled gratefully at him, picking up her fork and cutting off a few pieces. When the waitress returned later on to collect their plates, she handed the bill to Dean, giving him a long stare before walking away.

"Well at least we didn't have to hear her talk about how much she loves _meat_," Lori said, laughing. Dean flipped over the tab, smirking at the personal note she had left him. '_My shift ends at 3_.' He flipped through his billfold and threw money down on the table, sliding out of the booth and turning to let Lori out, offering her a hand.

Lori took his hand and let Dean pull her to a standing position. He looked sideways at her, giving her hand a squeeze before letting go and walking to the door. Lori took a deep breathe and followed him, Sam walking out behind her.

* * *

They arrived back at the motel, dropping Lori off so Sam and Dean could go investigate the scene. Lori had argued that she wanted to help and could at least wait in the car, but both brothers had been adamant that she stay out of harm's way. Sam had finally convinced her by saying that Scout could use some company.

Lori unlocked the door to her motel room, stepping in and shutting the door behind her. Scout bounded up to her happily, weaving around her legs with a wadded up sock in his mouth. Lori sighed and resigned to the fact that the sock was already a lost cause, reaching down and engaging in a game of tug-of-war.

After watching a few reruns of sitcoms, Lori clicked off the TV and lay back on the bed. She huffed out a breathe of air, tapping her fingers in boredom. She stared at the ceiling for some time, willing herself to at least take a nap. Giving up, she sat up and looked around the room, eyes settling on Scout. He was laying by the door, calmly watching her.

Lori stood up and picked up the flip phone the boys had given her yesterday. _Who uses a flip phone these days? _She opened it and typed out a quick text to Dean, informing him that she was going to take Scout for a walk. Picking up the leash, Lori grinned as Scout leaped to his feet and pranced excitedly around her in anticipation.

They walked down the street, Scout straining ahead while Lori strode slowly, taking in the scenery. After ten minutes of walking, they came across a small park. Lori sat down on a bench and looked around, watching a young couple throw a Frisbee for their black lab. Further down, an elderly woman sat on a bench, stroking a small Pomeranian in her lap.

Hearing Scout whine, Lori looked down at him. "Alright alright, but you've gotta stay right by me!" Lori warned, taking the leash off of Scout's collar. He licked her hand before bounded over to investigate some nearby trees, marking his new territory. Lori was watching him explore contentedly when she felt a buzz in her pocket. Flipping open the phone, she read the text: '_Heading back to motel. Don't be out much longer. -D'_

Sighing, she pushed the phone back into her pocket and stood, calling to Scout. He seemed disappointed when she put the leash back on him, but walked along side her as they made their way back to the hotel.


	9. Chapter 9

_I didn't feel like the last chapter was quite enough for all you lovely readers, so here is another! Thanks for all the reviews and follows, enjoy :)_

* * *

Lori closed the door to Sam & Dean's motel room, letting Scout off the leash. The boys had just beaten her back to the motel, and were pulling out notes and files from the scene. Sam sat at the small table in the kitchen area, spreading out papers and opening his laptop. Lori could see Dean leaning into the fridge to get a beer, giving her quite a nice view. With a smirk, she sat down opposite of Sam. "What did you guys find?"

Dean turned and walked to the table, setting a beer down in front of Sam and Lori before pulling up a chair to join them. "Nothing much in the building, apart from the creepy staring owl." He shivered exaggeratedly. "Someone did spray paint 'DIE SCUM' over the front window, and etched a tiny little paw print in the paint."

Lori furrowed her brow. "Do you have another laptop? A third set of eyes could hopefully lead us to an answer faster," she offered.

Dean shook his head. "We've only got the two." He pulled his laptop out and handed it to Lori. "You go ahead and get started with Sam, I'm gonna take a shower." Dean downed his beer and stood, shedding his suit jacket on the way to the bathroom door.

Lori watched him go before turning back to the table and opening the laptop. Before powering it on, she looked up skeptically at Sam. "I'm not gonna turn this on to see porn everywhere, am I?" Sam laughed. "I can't make any promises," he answered.

Lori took a deep breathe and mock-braced herself as she powered on the laptop, exhaling loudly when nothing explicit popped up. Sam chuckled and Lori grinned at him, taking a long pull from her beer. Settling down, she got to work on tracing the paw-printed threat.

* * *

Lori sat on the boys' couch, listening to them debate about what they had found. Sam had found a website for a group called S.N.A.R.T., and the boys had gone to talk to the founders earlier that afternoon at a local vegan bakery. Dean had told her how the couple had tagged the place the night the taxidermist died in protest of the hunters who funded the place. Lori couldn't help but laugh at the irony. Sam had also told her that the couple had heard a hissing noise and ran into an alley, where they were attacked by someone and sprayed in the eyes with mace.

"Look at this, Dean. This looks like their eyes." Sam held a laptop up, allowing Dean to walk over and look closer at the screen. "Necrosis?"

Sam lowered the computer back to the table. "Premature death of tissues – that's why their eyes were all messed up." He looked closer at the screen. "Says here it's caused by blunt force, radiation, or venom."

"As in, snake?" Dean asked skeptically.

Lori sat up more on the couch. "Well the taxidermist was constricted. And that S.N.A.R.T. couple said they heard hissing and were sprayed in the eyes, apparently with venom."

"So are we talking some sort of freaky-ass snake monster?" Dean asked, leaning on one of the kitchen chairs.

"Maybe. The weird thing is snakes either envenomate or constrict. No snake does both." Sam replied, pursing his lips.

"Okay, so freaky-ass mega snake monster," Dean said, sinking down in the chair.

"Vetala?" Lori offered, remembering one of the episodes from their series.

Dean shook his head. "They're not afraid to sink their fangs in, and the taxidermist was bite free."

Sam nodded. "Right. So now what?"

"Well, Kevin just got back from his vacation," Dean answered. "Let's see what he can dig up."

* * *

Later that night, the boys decided to call it quits on research and wait for Kevin to check in the next day. Sam went into the bathroom to take a long shower, leaving Dean sitting on the couch with Lori watching late night TV. He was leaning back with both his arms over the back of the couch, one foot propped up on his knee. Lori was sitting underneath his arm, legs curled up to the side so her body was inclined toward him. She was close enough to really cuddle into his side, but she couldn't work up the courage.

At one point during the show, Lori felt Dean's eyes on her. She looked up, meeting his gaze. "What?" She asked quietly. Dean shook his head. "Just looking," he replied.

Lori looked away shyly, feeling herself blush. She looked back up through her lashes at him, blinking at the sparkling green of his eyes. Dean reached up and gently grasped her chin between his fingers, pulling her in for a soft kiss. They kissed slowly, Dean's hand snaking back through her hair to cup the back of her head.

Lori felt his tongue brush against her lips, and their kiss turned passionate. Lori felt her pulse spike and pushed herself towards him. Dean grabbed her hips and shifted her so that she was straddling him on the couch. His hands pushed under her shirt and explored her bare stomach and back before lifting the shirt over her head. He smirked up at her. "I don't suppose you wore the matching panties I set out for you, too," he said huskily, groping her breasts over her bra.

"You'll just have to find that out for yourself," Lori teased. Dean seemed to take it as a challenge, immediately fumbling to undo her belt and jeans. He stood her up in front of him and yanked her jeans down to the floor, then pulled her back on his lap. He kissed and nipped at her neck, snaking one hand down the front of her thong. Lori tilted her head back and moaned, feeling the pleasure of his hand rubbing against her sweet spot.

She grabbed his shoulders and leaned forward, looking over his head at the closed bathroom door. "Dean... Oh- Dean! What if Sam comes out of the bathroom?" She whispered frantically, panting as his hands worked her over. He kissed his way up her neck to her mouth, swirling his tongue in with hers. Breaking their lips apart, he replied, "We'll just have to be quick."

Lori felt his hand leave her panties, leaving her aching with need. He quickly undid his own belt, lifting his hips slightly to pull his jeans down enough to release his excitement. He grabbed her hips and pulled her forward, pushing the center of her panties to the side and positioning her on the tip of his erection. Lori sank down until she had fully engulfed him, head thrown back in a silent moan.

With the help of Dean's hands on her hips, Lori began to bounce rhythmically on his lap. She felt the pleasure of her breasts bouncing and rubbing against her bra, and the fullness of Dean inside of her with each thrust. He pushed up his hips to meet hers, matching her rhythm. They picked up speed, each feeling the carnal desire fill them.

Soon her thighs were slapping against his with her frantic pace, and she was struggling to keep her moans quiet. Lori heard the shower turn off abruptly. "Shit!" she whispered. "Ahh... Dean he's gonna come out here... Oh fuck," she panted as Dean nearly doubled their rhythm. He was breathing heavy against her chest. He reached a hand down and began massaging her center, keeping with the intense rhythm of their pounding. Lori felt herself quickly approaching the point of no return and bit her lip, trying in vain to suppress a moan of ecstasy.

"Come for me, baby," he said into her neck. She exploded at his words, her body wracked with the waves of her orgasm. With a final thrust, Dean found his own release, throwing his head back with a grunt. They sat panting as each tried to calm their racing hearts.

The doorknob suddenly turned to the bathroom door, causing Lori to widen her eyes in panic. She moved to jump to the ground and hide in front of the couch, but Dean's hands held her firmly in place. She watched the door swing open before burying her head into Dean's neck, refusing to look up from sheer embarrassment. She felt Dean's head turn to look over her to the bathroom, where Sam had just emerged. "Are you sure you washed behind your ears, Sammy? Mommy and Daddy are wrestling in here."

Lori was sure her face was beet red by now. She heard Sam let out an exasperated breath. "Oh come on! You guys had a whole other room you could have gone to! I do _not_ want to see that much of my brother... I'll go back in there and give you two minutes to be decent before I'm coming back out!" Lori felt the rumble of Dean's deep laugh against her chest. "Two minutes!" Sam stressed, before closing the door behind him.

"I cannot believe you made me sit through that," Lori mumbled into Dean's neck. He gently pushed her back so she was sitting upright, making her groan at the shifting inside of her. He grinned at her. "You gotta admit it's fun to see him squirm like that."

She pushed his chest playfully and laughed, stopping abruptly with a hitch of her breathe as she felt the movement against her sensitive spot again. Dean moaned up at her. "I really wish we had time for round two," he said lowly, flexing his hips to make her sigh in pleasure.

Lori bit her lip. "If you keep doing that, Sam's gonna have to stay in that bathroom all night," she responded. Dean smirked up at her, then sighed in resignation and gently lifted her off him. She moaned softly in protest before standing fully and pulling on her jeans and t-shirt. Dean finished readjusting himself as she plopped down on the couch next to him, leaning into his side as he rested his arm around her shoulders.


	10. Chapter 10

Someone was gently shaking Lori's shoulder. She groaned and pulled the blanket up over her head. Hearing a deep chuckle, she peeked over the blanket and opened one eye. Once her eyes focused, she saw Dean crouched down in front of her, his hand on her arm.

"Morning, sleeping beauty," he smiled down at her. Lori uncovered her head the rest of the way and looked around, confused. She saw that she was still laying on the couch in the boys' room, where she must have fallen asleep the night before. Instead of waking her up and sending her to her own room, they had given her a blanket and pillow and let her stay.

Lori looked back at Dean and smiled sleepily. "Morning," she said, stretching. She noticed then that he was dressed in his full suit, and sat up. "Did something else happen?"

Dean stood up and brushed down his jacket. "Local animal shelter, something with the night worker. Sam and I are gonna go check it out," he answered. "You can go back to sleep, just wanted to tell you we're leaving for a bit."

Running a hand through her hair, Lori looked up at him. "Scout?" she asked groggily.

"I had Sam go get the dog food from your room earlier, he's already eaten and is sleeping over there." Dean nodded toward the beds, where Scout was laying on the floor, one paw twitching. "There's food in the fridge if you want to just hang out here until we get back."

Lori nodded, her stomach growling in agreement. She put a hand to her stomach, blushing. Dean chuckled and leaned over her, bracing his hands on the couch on either side of her head. He brought his face close to hers, holding her gaze with his own. "I look forward to our next wrestling match," he said, smirking. Lori felt her face flush, making Dean grin more.

Dean leaned forward until his lips just grazed hers, pulling back when she tried to kiss him back. Lori grinned. "You are such a tease." She grabbed his tie and pulled him in, kissing him fiercely. She released his tie and sat back, a satisfied smirk on her face. Dean grinned at her, leaning in for more when Sam cleared his throat behind them. Rolling his eyes, Dean straightened and fixed his tie. "Rain check," he winked at her.

Lori turned to watch them leave, waving as they shut the door. She sat back against the couch and sighed, smiling to herself. When her stomach growled again in protest, she heaved herself up off the couch and made her way to the kitchen. Digging through the fridge, she found a package of bagels and some strawberry cream cheese. "Score!" she said to herself.

After satisfying her hunger, Lori powered on Dean's laptop. She searched the web, seeing if she could find anything they had missed when searching for how she got here. Sam had talked about the possibility of an angel when they were back at the bunker. If they could send the brothers _to_ her dimension, they very well could have pulled her _out_. Dean was skeptical of the idea, and Lori understood why. After seeing Zeke, it seemed that all the angels were at minimal strength and wouldn't have the juice to hop dimensions, let alone drag someone with them.

It was near noon when the boys came back. Lori had given up on her research, finding nothing useful. Scout let out a bark and ran to the door before Dean could get it open. "It's alright, Scout, it's just Sam and Dean," Lori cooed to him. When Dean opened the door fully, Lori was surprised to see him with a leash in hand, straining to hold back a large German Shepherd. "Man, I guess I really have turned you into a dog lover."

Scout and the new dog circled each other, sniffing all over. Dean grabbed the new dog's collar and detached the leash. "Easy there, boy. This is The Colonel. He was, well, he was the only witness at both scenes."

Lori looked between Dean and Sam, her brow furrowed. "Do you expect him to pick up a pencil and write down the story for you? I don't understand."

Sam shrugged. "Kevin found a way, a spell, that will let one of us talk to dogs. Figured it's our best shot." He carried a plastic bag over to the table, setting out the contents and grabbing a bowl off the counter.

"How does it work?" Lori asked, trailing behind him. She glanced back at The Colonel, who was facing off against Scout in a game of tug-of-war. _Well, there goes another sock._ She sat down with the brothers at the table, watching Sam mix the ingredients.

"Kevin said it's like a human/animal mind meld. So, if it works, we should be able to read The Colonel's thoughts." Sam finished mixing the ingredients and poured the red liquid into a cup. Dean immediately reached for the cup. "All right, I'll do it. Last thing we need is your sensitive stomach chucking this all up."

Sam scoffed, but surrendered the cup to his brother. Dean looked down nervously into the cup. "Doesn't look so bad." He then tilted his head back and downed the mixture in one gulp, setting the cup back down. He licked his lips, looking back into the cup. "I was wrong."

Lori's shoulders shook as she tried hard to hold in her laughter. Dean rolled his eyes at her, and gestured back to Sam. "All right, come on." Sam handed Dean a book, open to the page they needed. Dean read the spell, slapping the book closed triumphantly and turning to where The Colonel and Scout now lay side by side. "Let's get this party started. Tell me everything you know."

Lori and Sam looked back and forth between Dean and The Colonel, waiting for any sort of reaction. Dean scoffed. "What's the matter, cat got your tongue?" He laughed cheekily and looked up at them. Lori rolled her eyes, and Sam only stared back at him, one brow raised. Dean turned back to The Colonel. "Tough crowd," he muttered.

The Colonel barked, and Lori looked expectantly up at Dean. He shook his head and sat back in his chair with a shrug. Lori gave him a disappointed look. She was really hoping to be in on the action for once instead of watching it on screen.

* * *

Lori sat at the table, stabbing her fork into a Chinese take out container. Sam had gone to pick up lunch after waiting an hour for the spell to kick in, and Dean was still grumbling about it. "Spell tasted like ass and was a bust."

"At least it didn't affect your appetite," Lori said, raising a brow as Dean shoveled another bite of his food in his mouth before he had even swallowed the last. She chuckled and shook her head, returning to her own meal and enjoying the classic rock station they had found on the radio.

Dean jumped suddenly and whipped his head around, staring at The Colonel. "What?"

Lori blinked. "What?" she asked, confused.

"Shut up, it's working!" Dean waved a hand at her. Sam sat up straight in his chair. "Go!" he said excitedly, gesturing to the dogs.

Dean seemed to listen intently to whatever The Colonel was saying. Lori thought the anticipation would kill her as she looked back and forth between them. Dean sat back suddenly, an offended look on his face. "Dennis DeYoung's not a punk. He's Mr. Roboto, bitch!" He paused, then gestured to Scout. "Thank you!"

"Why are you arguing with the dog about Styx?" Sam said, leaning forward. Dean looked up at him. "Wha..? Oh, yeah. Hey boy, what were you trying to tell us about the cowboy hat?" he asked The Colonel.

"Ask him about the cats," Sam offered after a beat. Lori wadded up her napkin and tossed it in the garbage can, turning her attention back to Dean and the dogs. She looked up in surprise when Dean grabbed the napkin and put it on the table in front of her, still apparently listening to the dog talk. "So what's he saying?" Sam asked

"I don't want this," Lori said, half to herself, picking up the napkin and throwing it back at the garbage can. It bounced off the rim and fell to the floor, where Dean reached over and picked it up, giving it back to her once again. "He said the guy smelled like ground chuck and soap suds and old-lady cream."

Lori picked up the napkin and held it up. "Dean, what are you doing?" He looked up at her, scratching behind his ear. "I don't know," he shrugged. He turned back and looked at Scout. "Oh, what are you laughing at?"

Lori stared at Dean, her mind getting lost in the one-sided conversation. She heard the slow squeal of old brakes outside their window, barely registering it. Dean stood up suddenly and rushed to the window, parting the curtains. "Hey!" he yelled. "Hey! Hey! You! You!" He growled and huffed out a breathe.

"Did he just...bark?" Lori asked Sam, completely bewildered. Sam grinned as Dean returned to the table. "Well I think the spell worked," Sam said. "In fact, I think it worked a little too well."

"What?" Dean asked, sitting down and scratching behind his ear again. Sam gestured to him. "You're scratching your head, barking at the mailman...You're playing fetch!" he said, taking the napkin from Lori and tossing it back into the garbage can. Dean looked over his shoulder to where the napkin landed and made a movement toward it before restraining himself, looking longingly at it. He turned back to Sam and Lori and whimpered. "Ruh-roh."

Lori burst out laughing, nearly doubling over herself. She heard Sam laughing right along with her, while Dean just pouted at them. She wiped the tears from her eyes and sat back, grinning. This was going to be fun.


	11. Chapter 11

Lori sat on the floor against the end of Dean's bed, scratching Scout's head in her lap. Dean was sitting on the edge of the bed, his legs next to her, staring at The Colonel. Sam had just gotten off the phone with Kevin, who explained that the formula had apparent side effects that would just eventually wear off.

"Why don't we go back to the animal shelter and see what the other dogs can tell us?" Sam said, halting his pacing in front of them.

Dean nodded and looked up. "Let's do it," he said, standing up and brushing off his pants. Lori scrambled to her feet, dislodging Scout from her lap. "I'm coming with you," she declared.

"Fat chance of that happening," Dean scoffed. "I didn't make you stay in the bunker for this, but I sure as hell am making you stay here."

Lori held up her hands exasperatingly. Dean was so frustrating, thinking he could just boss her around. "I'm not your prisoner, Dean! You're just going to the animal shelter to talk to the dogs, it's not like I'm asking you to hand me the guns and send me in to hunt the thing myself." She turned to Sam. "Help me out here?" she pleaded.

Sam got a pained look on his face as he turned to his brother, knowing the reaction he would get either way. "She's been sitting here for two days, man."

Dean's jaw worked as he stared hard at his brother. After a moment, he turned to Lori, pointing a finger in her face. "_Just_ the animal shelter. Then we come back here, and from then on this is your cell, got it?"

Lori huffed out a breathe. The second part didn't sound like her idea of fun, but at least she could see the outside world for just a little while before being cooped up in the motel again. She nodded her agreement.

Sam gave her a small smile before turning and grabbing his jacket. Lori was glad that he was giving her a chance. She thought about his bond with Scout, and how that could be the main reason for him backing her up. It still broke her heart to think about what would happen when they finally did figure out a way to send her home.

Lori turned at watched Dean grab a leash off the counter, causing both Scout and The Colonel to jump to their feet in anticipation. "Sorry Scout, we're only taking The Colonel this time." He paused, making a face. "I know you vouched for Styx earlier, but he's our witness here." He walked up to Scout and rubbed his head roughly before walking to the door, The Colonel tugging him forward.

Lori crouched down in front of Scout and took his face in her hands. "Sorry puppy, I promise we can go to the park again when I get back." She wished she could hear what he was saying as he stared back at her. With a small smile, she stood and turned to the door, following Dean and Sam out.

Shutting the door behind her, she jogged to catch up to the brothers. She chuckled when she heard Dean arguing with The Colonel about doggy puns. If this dog was as sarcastic as Dean's reactions made her think, then he was a fine dog in her book.

Hearing a soft plop, Lori and the brothers simultaneously turned to see fresh bird crap on the Impala. "Aw, are you kidding me?" Dean cried, throwing his hands up. He looked up above the Impala and spied a pigeon sitting on a lamp post, staring down at them. "Hey, dick move, pigeon!" he yelled.

Dean suddenly put his hand out, grabbing Sam's arm. "Did.." Sam gave him a questioning look. "What?

"Wait a minute. Can I hear all animals?" Dean asked, turning to The Colonel.

Lori looked up to the pigeon, then back to Dean. "What's he saying?" she asked, amused. "He's being a douchebag!" Dean replied, staring back up at the pigeon. She grinned._ I guess the Animal Kingdom knows how to handle a Winchester. _"Oh, shut it, you winged rat!" Dean cried, shaking his fist at the pigeon.

Sam's eyes widened, looking around to see a couple watching them across the parking lot. "Dude," he said to Dean, grabbing his arm. Dean looked over at him. "What?" he replied, making a face.

Lori started to shake with laughter as she watched Sam wave apologetically to the couple before turning back to Dean. "Just calm down. Just get in the car." He started pushing Dean toward the car door, throwing a forced smile over his shoulder at the man and woman.

Dean pulled back suddenly, drawing his gun. "Oh, that's it, you son of a bitch!" he yelled, raising his gun to point at the pigeon. Sam nearly jumped on him, pulling his arm down. "Dean! Get in the car!" He turned and waved again at the couple and another group of onlookers that had gathered. Lori burst out laughing, doubling over and bracing her hands on her knees. Sam pushed Dean and The Colonel into the Impala before turning back to Lori, giving her an embarrassed look and gesturing for her to get in the car pronto. She wiped the tears from her eyes before sliding into the back seat next to The Colonel.

* * *

Lori thought she was building up a set of rock-hard abs from all the laughing she had done. Dean had stuck his head out the window the entire car ride, even barking when a car pulled up next to them at a stop light with another dog in the back seat. She wasn't sure who would keel over and die first, her from laughing or Sam from embarrassment.

When they finally pulled up to the animal shelter, Sam suggested leaving The Colonel in the car, since all the windows were down. Lori climbed out of the backseat, seeing Dean give his brother an offended look. "You think we like that?" Lori raised a brow at him. "We?" She wasn't sure her abs could take another round of this.

"You think because the windows are open that that's some sort of a treat, huh? No, the dog's coming in." Dean declared, opening the back door and releasing The Colonel. Sam just rolled his eyes and walked ahead of them into the animal shelter. Lori followed behind Dean and The Colonel before abruptly running into Dean's back.

"Hey!" she yelled, looking up at him. He was staring off to the side, The Colonel mirroring his look. Lori turned, expecting to see this year's Miss America contestants hosting a nude car wash by the look on his face. She was surprised to see a very girly looking Poodle tied to a bike rack instead. "Dean." she prodded unbelievably. Dean shook himself visibly and turned to her, looking just as surprised and even a little guilty for being caught staring. "Right," he said, turning and pulling The Colonel into the animal shelter.

* * *

Lori watched Dean pass through the kennels, a pained look on his face. This is one moment where she was glad she couldn't hear what all these animals were saying. Just seeing the tension in Dean's shoulders as he stopped by each cage was enough to make her imagination run wild, hearing faint cries and pleas for help. She shook off the image as he walked back to where she stood with Sam. "Any luck?" Sam asked.

"Hardly. And I'm not getting any clues – just a bunch of complaints," Dean replied, rubbing his face with his hand. He turned then to look at a Yorkie in the kennel next to him. "Sorry, pal. I'm done for the day," he said to the small dog. After a moment, he scoffed. "What? Are you kidding me? I'm being extorted by a dog! Well, what do you want, huh? Beggin' strips? Snausages?" He paused again. "All right..." he said apprehensively, reaching for the latch.

Lori saw his eyes widen a bit at whatever the Yorkie said back to him. It was definitely a bit frustrating trying to keep up. Dean looked apologetically up at Sam. "He, uh, he wants you to give him a belly rub." he said, rubbing the back of his neck. Sam gave him a bewildered look. "Why me? You're the one talking to him." Dean shrugged. "He said he wants you to do it."

Sam pursed his lips, but reached forward and picked up the Yorkie, holding him like a baby in his arm. He started scratching the dog's belly, and Dean set in on questioning. Lori soon realized she wouldn't be able to make any sense of the conversation, and began walking slowly through the kennels. Each of the dogs stared at her as she passed, waiting to see where she would stop. Some sat obediently, some wagged their tails at her and jumped up against their cage doors, and some just barked at her.

She reached the end of the room and turned, seeing Sam closing the door to the Yorkie's kennel, apparently finished. She heaved a sigh and looked around one last time at all the kennels. Dean turned and caught her eye, giving her a knowing look. He bent down suddenly and opened one of the kennel doors, stepping back to let the dog run out to its freedom. He moved quickly to the next kennel, freeing a second dog from his cage.

Lori gaped at him, her face full of shock. By the time Dean had released the fifth dog, Lori snapped out of her trance and turned to the kennel next to her, flipping the latch and watching the dog race away. She moved faster and faster through the room, meeting Dean in the middle and unlocking the final cage with him. She straightened up and grinned at him, nearly bouncing up and down with joy. He flashed a grin at her before grabbing her hand and pulling her along behind him, leaving the building.

* * *

Lori leaned back in the booth, grinning into her beer. She still couldn't believe that they had released all those dogs, and she could still feel the adrenaline and excitement coursing through her. She took another drink of her beer and looked out the window. The boys had gone across the street to a restaurant called Avant-Garde Cuisine the Yorkie at the animal shelter had told Dean about. They had come to the diner to eat after the animal shelter, and Lori had insisted that they should just go over there while she kept watch on the front door.

They had been gone for over half an hour. Lori tried not to be worried, since you couldn't really tell from the TV show how long these investigations really took. Just then, she heard a faint whistle, drawing her eyes back to the window. She saw movement down the alley next to the restaurant, and squinted her eyes trying to focus. _Are those... dogs?_ She shook her head and looked back down at her beer. _Maybe I've had a little too much._

The sound of barking and snarling drifted to her, making her whip her head back around. _It's just a couple of strays fighting over the garbage,_ she told herself. Still, the worry crept up inside her, making her drum her fingers impatiently on the table. She continued to stare intently out the window after the snarling and barking had all died out.

Lori pulled out her flip phone and sent a quick text to Dean, praying that he would respond to her before she went insane or barged into the restaurant herself. The minutes seemed to drag by before her phone buzzed again. She snatched it off the table before it had even finished its first pulse, flipping it open and reading the text. '_Took care of the guy. We're both fine. Meet at the car. -D_'

She breathed a sigh of relief, leaning her head back against the booth and closing her eyes. After a few moments, she lifted her beer and downed the rest, wiping the wetness from her lips with the back of her hand. She threw down the money Dean had left her to pay for the bill and walked out the door, heading around the corner to the Impala. Leaning on the hood of the car, she watched the restaurant until she saw Sam and Dean emerge from the alley, both seemingly intact. She let out another breathe and smiled, happy to see their big goofy faces again.

* * *

Lori stood in her motel room, packing her clothes back into her bag. The boys had successfully finished the job, and they were headed back to the bunker. She zipped up her bag and whistled lightly for Scout, waiting until he had bounded up to her to before stepping out and shutting the door behind them. She walked up to where Sam and Dean stood leaning on the Impala.

Dean pushed himself off the Impala and strode up to Lori, wrapping his arm around her waist and bending down to kiss her. Lori pushed her lips against his in response, her body reacting as if she was starved for him. He grinned into her lips at her eagerness, breaking away slowly and taking her bag from her. Lori followed behind him as he carried it over to the Impala, throwing it in the trunk. She ushered Scout into the backseat and climbed in beside him, Dean and Sam plopping down in the front. Smiling to herself, Lori stroked Scout's head absently as Dean started the engine and backed out of the lot, steering them home.


	12. Chapter 12

_Morning light was just beginning to shine through her bedroom window when Lori opened her eyes. In her state of semi-consciousness, she looked around at her familiar room. Her beat up purple backpack leaned up against her wide baby blue dresser that her grandmother had given her. The mirror behind it was still lined with horse stickers from her preteen years. With a sudden realization, she sat up straight in bed.  
_

_Christmas! She scrambled to untangle her legs from the covers and leapt down, nearly dragging the blankets down with her. She ran to her bedroom door where she stopped abruptly, crouching down and slowly opening the door just a crack. Peeking down the hall, she could see the very tip of the Christmas tree over the old wood banister._

_Lori grinned and swung open her door fully, stepping out and jumping across the hall to barge into her little brother's room. She pushed the end of his mattress up and down excitedly, bouncing him until her groaned and rolled over, peeking through one eye at her. "Go away," he grumbled, rolling back over._

_"Oh, come on Michael, it's Christmas morning! We have to wake mom and dad up!" She smiled when the realization dawned on his face and he sat up quicker. Well, quick for him. He swung his legs over the bed and stood up beside her, his shaggy mouse brown hair falling in his eyes. He stood level with her now, and he wasn't even 14 yet. She frowned slightly at this, but quickly smiled again as she turned and ran down the hall to their parent's room._

_Lori waited impatiently at the door for Michael to catch up to her. When he finally stepped up beside her, she pushed open the door and tiptoed in, crossing the room to her mother's side of the bed. Crouching down, she gently tapped her mothers arm. Her mom stirred, rolling onto her back and slowly opening her eyes. "Merry Christmas, mom!" Lori whispered excitedly._

_Her mom smiled, her dark brown eyes crinkling at the corners. "Merry Christmas honey," she replied. Reaching over, she prodded the sleeping man next to her until he grumbled and rolled over, a grumpy look on his face. Lori giggled. "Geez dad, you look just like Michael did when I woke him up."_

_Her dad squinted back at her, still groggy from sleep. He passed a hand over his eyes, then looked back up at his children, smiling. "Merry Christmas, kiddos."_

_Lori raced Michael down the hall to the living room, jumping onto the couch to wait in anticipation until their parents had brewed their morning coffee. The siblings sat eying the pile of presents under the tree, searching for their own special wrapping paper. Lori's had been horse-themed since she was nine years old, and her brother's was still Hotwheels.  
_

_Her mom and dad walked into the living room, each cradling a steaming mug. Her mom pulled a wooden chair from the kitchen table in behind her, placing it across from the couch and sitting down with a sigh. Her dad set his coffee down on the end table and went to kneel by the tree, digging around to find the first round of presents._

_By the time Michael had unwrapped his last gift, Lori had long since finished and was already starting in on a new book she had opened. She didn't mind that Michael got more presents than her, he was still just a kid. She was seventeen, she didn't need toys and kid stuff anymore._

_Her mom stood up and clapped her hands together, a secretive smile on her face. "Lori, time to put the book down. We have one last gift for you." Lori looked up, confused. She glanced back at the tree, confirming that there was nothing left underneath. "What is it?" she asked curiously._

_The smile on her mom's face widened as she turned to watch her husband carry in a large box with a lid and a great big bow on top. He set the box down carefully on the floor at Lori's feet, straightening up and moving to stand with his arm around his wife._

_Lori reached down to grab either side of the lid when the box shifted suddenly. She let out a squeak of surprise, momentarily pulling her hands back. She blinked, then quickly snatched the lid and yanked it open, peering down into the box to find a small shaggy puppy, his coat a wash of grays, blues, and tans. _

_With a squeal, Lori wrapped her hands around the puppy and picked him up, cuddling him against her chest and face. "Oh my gosh, a puppy! You guys got me a puppy!" she gushed. "Oh, he's adorable! Is it a boy? What's his name?"_

_Lori's mom laughed, holding up her hand. "Slow down, honey. It's a boy, yes. And his name is Scout."_

* * *

Lori blinked open her eyes. Her head was resting against the window of the Impala, the twilight sky drowned out by harsh white lights overhead. She sat up and looked around, squinting. They had apparently stopped at a small gas station off the highway to fill up before continuing on to the bunker. Sam sat snoring softly in the passenger seat, and she spotted Dean standing next to the Impala, pumping gas.

Looking at the seat next to her, she saw Scout sleeping peacefully. Lori absently stroked his fur, drawing a heavy sigh from him. She swallowed heavily, the dream still vivid in her mind. The happiness she had felt that morning tugged at her heart, reminding her that she didn't belong here. She wondered what her mother was doing now.

Her brother's young face flashed across her mind. He was your typical teenage boy back then. Lori felt a tear roll down her face at the sweet memory and she wiped angrily at it. She hated crying, and she wasn't about to do it in front of the Winchester brothers, whether they were asleep or not. Taking a few deep breathes, she decided that some fresh air would do her good.

Lori opened the door and stepped out, turning to shut it as quietly as she could so as not to disturb either of the sleeping bodies still inside. Dean had his back to her, but turned when he heard her get out. His soft smile quickly turned into a frown as he looked at her. He rounded the car quickly to stand in front of her, taking her head gently in his hands.

"What happened?" he said softly, bending down to look her in the eyes. Lori closed her eyes momentarily, breathing in deeply. His closeness was already helping to calm her. She opened her eyes and looked back up at him. "It was just a dream, I'm fine," she replied, giving him a small smile.

Dean shook his head. "This isn't what I would call fine." His thumb stroked her cheeks, wiping away the wet trails that she had missed. Lori took a deep shaky breathe and looked away. She wasn't sure she could talk about it. She was about to brush him off again when she looked up and met his eyes. His brow was furrowed in worry, his lips pursed and his green eyes dark. Her brother's face flashed across her mind again, making her chin quiver as she tried to hold back.

"Baby, what is it?" Dean prodded? He brushed a hand through her hair, his gaze intense on her. Lori sighed and set her lips in a thin line, looking down. "My brother," she started softly. "I was remembering my favorite Christmas. The last -" she stopped and looked up warily at Dean.

Her hands were shaking visibly, so Lori crossed her arms and tucked them into her armpits. "It was so vivid," she continued, the tears rolling freely down her face now. "I can still count the freckles on his face, at least what you could see through his hair," she said with a short laugh. "Our parents had saved up some extra money that year to splurge at Christmas. That's when I got Scout," she smiled sadly and looked over her shoulder into the Impala at him. "Michael got the latest games for his precious Xbox. He was so excited, he skipped breakfast and started playing them right away."

Lori closed her eyes as Dean wiped the fresh tears from her cheeks. She felt her throat swelling with the next round of tears. "I miss him so much, Dean," she choked out, looking down. Dean let go of her face and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close. Lori pressed her cheek against his chest, squeezing her eyes shut as the tears kept coming.

Dean kept one hand on her back, stroking her hair soothingly with the other. He bent his head down to give her a soft kiss on the top of her head. "We don't have to talk about it. It'll be all right." He said softly to her, rocking gently side to side. Lori sniffled, clutching him tight. She wished with all her might for it to be true, that someday it would be all right. She wished with every beat of her heart that she could see her brother again. If only this dimension was one where wishes came true.


	13. Chapter 13

Lori stumbled sleepily into her room, glad to finally be back at the bunker. She tossed her bag on the ground haphazardly, dragging herself over to the bed. She slumped down on the mattress, pulling off each shoe and tossing them in the general direction of the closet. With a sigh, she heaved herself back into a standing position. Her body protested, willing her to just lie back down and go to sleep.

She fumbled with the button of her jeans, fighting to clear the haze of sleep from her mind just long enough to get undressed. A dark figure appeared in the doorway, making Lori realize she forgot to shut it behind her in her trance. She looked up to see Dean leaning against the frame, watching her. She paused to stare back at him, hands still at her waistline.

He was still in his jeans, but had stripped down his layers to just a thin t-shirt. His hair was tousled slightly. Lori had noticed earlier that Dean had a tendency to ruffle his hair when he was tired. She smiled inwardly. The look sure suited him. After a moment, Dean pushed himself off the door frame and stepped into the room, closing the door softly behind him. He padded up to stand in front of Lori.

Reaching up, Dean ran his hands from her shoulders down her arms to her wrists, pulling them gently back to hang at her sides. His eyes never left hers as he unbuttoned her jeans, crouching slowly to pull them down to her ankles. He stood back up and held out a hand, letting Lori brace herself on him as she stepped out of them. Releasing her hand, he reached up and unbuttoned her plaid blouse, still never breaking eye contact.

Lori felt time pass slowly, as if she were already in a dream. She was staring into the piercing green eyes of this Adonis, his gaze one that could see straight into the soul. The room around him was a blur, water on a canvas, but his features were sharp and clear to her. His scent wrapped around her like a warm blanket, making her close her eyes and breath in deeply.

He pushed her blouse gently off her shoulders and down her arms until it fell to the floor, his fingers tracing faint swirls down her now bare skin in their decent. When Lori stood in front of him in just a tank top and her underwear, Dean moved to her side and braced one arm behind her knees, gently lifting her into his arms. Lori wrapped her arms around his neck, resting her head on his shoulder.

He carried her toward the bed and laid her gently down, pulling the covers out from underneath her and tucking them over her curled up body. Lori lay with her eyes closed, sleep pulling her down and away. With one hand underneath her cheek, she blindly reached a hand up toward where Dean was standing. She felt his warm hand close around hers, his lips pressing lightly into the back of her hand.

"Dean..." she mumbled, eyes still refusing to open. "I'm sorry about earlier. I didn't mean to break down in front of you."

He turned her hand over and kissed the open palm. "Go to sleep, baby," he whispered against her skin. Lori smiled peacefully as he placed her hand on the pillow by her head. The last thing she heard was the sound of Dean softly shutting the door behind him as sleep finally took over.

* * *

It was late morning when Lori padded out of her room. She had thrown on a pair of running shorts with what she slept in, trying to run a hand through the tangle of her hair. More than anything, she wanted a shower. Rounding the corner to the main room, she saw Sam sitting with his laptop open on the table, another figure sitting across from him. Lori stopped short. If she was going to meet the prophet, she didn't want to look like a hobo.

She tiptoed backward into the hall until she was once again out of sight. She turned to head back to her room when she ran smack into Dean's chest. With a yelp, she bounced back in surprise. Lori scowled at the triumphant smirk on Dean's face. "I just couldn't help myself," he admitted.

"Lori? Are you alright?" Sam called from the main room. Lori could hear two chairs scrape against the floor and the sound of footsteps cross toward the hallway. Lori turned around, about to answer with a snarky comment about his brother being determined to kill her, when Sam and Kevin rounded the corner into the hallway.

Sam held up his hands. "Never mind, I don't want to know what Dean did," he chuckled and dropped his hands. "At least you both have clothes on this time." He shuddered for effect, earning him a slap on the arm from Lori. She was still mortified that Dean had made her sit through Sam walking in on them back at the motel.

Blushing hard, she felt Dean's arms wrap around her waist from behind, pulling her against his chest. He seemed to know exactly what she was thinking, nuzzling his nose apologetically into her hair. She rested her hands over his, acknowledging his silent words. She looked over then at Kevin, blushing once again.

"I don't know what they've told you about me, but none of it's true," Lori insisted to him with a smile. Kevin huffed out a short laugh, reaching his hand out for her to shake. "Kevin," he said.

"Lori," she answered, shaking his hand. Kevin braced his hands on his hips. "So I hear you're some sort of alien," he teased.

Lori laughed. "That's what they told you, huh?" She smacked Sam's arm again, who cried out in protest. "Hey, it wasn't just me!" he yelled, pointing behind her to his brother. Dean's arms tightened around her waist. "Don't even think about it, short stop," Dean said into her ear. Lori rolled her eyes, turning back to Kevin.

"More of a dimension-hopper than alien, I hope. Not sure what got me here or why, but maybe the infamous prophet can dig up something," she said, gesturing to him.

Kevin chuckled. "Infamous, huh? They did tell me about your dimension having our lives as some sort of TV show. I'm no miracle worker, but I'll see what I can do," he replied, turning and walking back into the main room, Sam following behind.

Lori turned in Dean's arms, putting her hands up against his chest and tilting her head back to look up at him. He was still smirking down at her, making her grin back. "You better wipe that smirk off your face, Winchester," she warned.

Dean narrowed his eyes playfully. "Oh yeah? And what if I don't?" he challenged, dropping his hands from her back to her butt, cupping her cheeks roughly. Lori sucked in a breathe, her mind momentarily wiping away everything but her desire for him. She narrowed her eyes back at him, mimicking his expression. She pushed off his chest suddenly, catching him off guard. His grip on her slipped just enough for her to pull out of his grasp. She took off down the hallway, laughing loudly at the sound of him hard on her heels.

She knew she couldn't outrun him, but still squealed when Dean caught up and grabbed her hips, pulling her back against him. He turned her roughly around to face him, pinning her against him with her arms held firmly behind her back. "Now that wasn't very nice," he said lowly, his face inches from hers.

Lori bit her lip deliberately, knowing he could never concentrate when she did that. He stared at her lips, eyes hooded with lust and desire. "What are you going to do now that you've caught me?" she asked sultrily, blinking her eyes at him and biting her lip again.

Dean groaned, flexing his hips against her. "I have a whole list of things I want to do to you," he replied huskily. Lori smiled sweetly at him and stood up on her toes, placing her lips right by his ear. "I hope one of them has to do with the shower, because that's where I'm headed," she whispered, pulling slowly back out of his grasp. She turned and walked away, swinging her hips under his intense gaze.

Shutting the bathroom door behind her, Lori made doubly sure it was unlocked. Adrenaline and desire coursed through her veins as she made quick work of undressing, stepping under the warm stream of water. She closed her eyes and leaned her head back, letting the water wet her hair.

The soft click of the door locking told her when Dean had entered the room. She stood facing the stream of water, her head tilted back as the water coursed over her neck and down her body. She shivered with anticipation when he opened the shower door and stepped in behind her, letting in a brief burst of cool air.

Lori kept her eyes closed as his hands wrapped around her hips and he moved his lips over the sweet spot at the base of her neck. She sighed and stepped back, pressing her bare behind against his already erect member. She was awarded with a soft groan against her neck as she gyrated her hips against him. His hands slid up her sides and around to her front, taking a breast in each hand. He kneaded her nipples, causing her to moan loudly and push her chest further into his hands.

Unable to wait any longer, Lori leaned forward and braced her hands against the wall, the water coursing over her back. Dean took the hint and moved his hands back down her sides, one hand pulling back to grab his erection and positioning it at her pulsing center. He pushed his hips forward, fingers digging into her hips as his breathe hissed out between his teeth.

Lori threw her head back in pleasure, feeling him enter her completely. She began to move her hips back and forth, her wet skin slapping against his thighs. Dean grunted and met her thrust for thrust, pulling her back harder against him. He moved one hand over her hip and underneath her, caressing the sweet spot between her legs. Her legs shook with the overload of sensations. The water pounding on her back, Dean's hips thrusting at her, pushing himself deeper and harder into her, and now his hand between her legs quickly sent her soaring towards the edge.

She curled in her toes and bit her lip, trying to prolong the climb. She looked over her shoulder at Dean, his abs tense and head lowered as he thrust quickly into her, panting. He met her eyes then, seeing her pleasure at being so close to climax. With a burst of speed, he watched her spill over the edge, back arched, head thrown back, mouth open as she cried out his name.

Dean continued to thrust quickly into Lori, making her buck under him. Her heart was racing when he finally slowed down, allowing her to come down from her high. He pushed ever so slowly in and out as she straightened up to almost standing. He stopped when he was fully embedded in her, pulling her hips back against him. Lori groaned and lifted her arms behind her, wrapping her hands behind Dean's head. She leaned back against him as he bent his head to kiss the nape of her neck.

Lori felt her desire spiking again. She didn't know how she would be able to walk after going at it a second time in a row, but with Dean's full erection still inside of her, she was more than willing to find out. Still kissing her neck, Dean pulled his hips away from her, slowly sliding out. Lori whimpered in protest, turning to face him and reaching down to wrap her hand around him. She knew how hard he was having to hold himself back by the sharp hiss of his breathe at her touch.

Her hand moved slowly up and down his shaft, gradually picking up the pace. Dean groaned loudly, pushing his hips into her hand. In a flash, he bent down and lifted up her legs, wrapping them around his waist. He pushed her against the wall with his body, thrusting fully into her. Lori gasped at the sudden fullness, throwing her head back as he pounded into her. She clawed at his back, pulling him deeper into her as she once again rose higher and higher. With a final moan he thrust once into her, burying himself in her as he came to his own climax. She felt him pulsing within her, bringing her to her second powerful orgasm of the day.

Dean dropped his head to rest on her shoulder, fighting to steady his breathe. He raised his head after a few moments and stood up straight, still holding Lori up, until she was fully leaning on him. Her arms lay limply around his neck, her nose tucked against his neck. She willed herself to stand on her own, but couldn't seem to make any of her limbs work or even lift up her head. He braced her with one arm and reached the other over to shut off the now lukewarm water. Turning, he slid open the shower door and stepped out, setting Lori down gently on the edge of the counter and slowly sliding out of her.

Lori leaned back against the mirror with her eyes closed, still trying to steady her heart rate. She felt Dean's hands on her cheeks and peeked open her eyes, meeting the concerned look on his face. With a reassuring look, she took one of his hands and laid it over her heart, letting him feel the steady, still somewhat frantic pulse. "I'm still alive," she said, eyes crinkling in a soft smile. Dean smile back at her, leaning forward to plant a gentle kiss on her lips.

She watched him pull a towel down off the rack and turn back to drape it gently over her hair, massaging her head as he dried her hair. Closing her eyes, Lori sighed heavily, a tired smile pulling at her lips. When her hair had stopped dripping, Dean dropped the towel into the bin and grabbed a second, quickly drying his own hair and body and wrapping it around his waist. Within a minute he had finished, and he grabbed a third towel, turning back to Lori.

"Come on baby, let's get you dried off before you freeze," he coaxed her, helping her off the counter. Lori stood shakily in front of him, supporting much of her weight with her arms against the counter. Dean moved the towel gently over her body, massaging all of her tired muscles as he went. She relished the feel of it, the care he took as he dried her off.

When he finished, he wrapped the towel gently around her body to cover her up. He moved to pick her up again, but Lori held up a hand. "I need to walk it off," she joked, grabbing his bicep to steady her instead. Dean chuckled and obliged, guiding her out into the hallway and down to her bedroom. The first few steps, Lori's legs felt like they had been replaced with jello, and she had to pull hard on Dean's arm to keep herself upright. By the time they made it to her bedroom she had steadied herself, forcing her legs to carrying their weight.

Dean opened the door for her and stepped in ahead of her, pulling her gently to the bed. Lori sat down on the edge and looked up at him. He was glistening from where he had missed drying himself off, and his abs were still tight from the workout they received in the shower. She blushed, looking up to his face, where he was smiling softly down at her. He leaned down and kissed her forehead. "Take a little nap short stop, I'll come back when it's time for lunch." Lori nodded and watched him leave the room before laying back down and letting sleep win her over once again.


	14. Chapter 14

Lori woke up with a yelp, batting her arms at whatever had just attacked her head. She sat up in bed, disoriented, still swinging her arms wide. She stopped when she saw Dean standing halfway across the room, one of her pillows in his hands. He was dressed in jeans and a dark green v-neck, a large grin on his face. "Rise and shine, short stop. Oh and by the way, I'm loving the hairdo," he said with a wink.

Whipping her head around, Lori looked over at her mirror and took in the large tangle of curls that were flattened to one side of her head from where she slept. She let out a cry and reached around to the pillow she had been sleeping on, flinging it hard at Dean's quickly retreating back. Lori scrambled to tie her hair back into a somewhat reasonable ponytail and pull on some clothes, walking over to pick up the pillow she had thrown and the one Dean had dropped on his rush out of the room.

When Lori walked into the main room, she was hit with the smell of pizza and her stomach grumbled in anticipation. She leaned down to scratch Scout's back as she passed into the kitchen, her nose following the scent trail. An open box of take-out pizza sat on the counter, three slices remaining. Picking up the box, she carried it back into the main room and sat next to Dean, who was rubbing his eyes tiredly.

Lori looked across the table to Sam, who had a pained expression on his face. He was staring down at the pages of a thick book, his brows furrowed. Kevin sat next to him, leaning back with a similar book on his lap. Lori ate a few bites of pizza in silence, unsure as to whether she should interrupt them with her talking, or offer to help, or just leave them alone. She chewed in silence as the boys flipped through their pages.

The sudden loud vibration of a cell phone on the table made her jump. Dean sighed almost gratefully and snatched it off the table, flipping it open. "Yeah?" he answered. Lori heard a deep voice on the other end respond, but couldn't make out what they had said. Dean stood up suddenly and walked quickly away from the table, leaving all three of them staring after him in confusion. Lori looked at Sam questioningly, who just shrugged back at her.

When Dean snapped the phone shut shortly after and returned to the table, he announced that Cas had informed him of a possible case, but wouldn't say anything else. Lori sat up straight in her chair, the pizza long forgotten. Cas? _The_ Cas? She was practically bouncing up and down with excitement. She was going to meet the one and only Castiel! And witness their reunion after Dean kicked him out in the very last episode she saw! If either one of them got watery eyes when they finally saw each other, she was sure she would faint.

Dean glanced at Lori and immediately held up a hand, stopping the words on her lips. "No. I let you come on the last case, not this time. I'm going by myself, and that's final." Lori whined, the fangirl in her coming out in full force. "But Deeeaaaaaan!"

He shook his head, looking hard at her to make sure she got the message. Lori shook her head at him, bewildered. "You aren't even sure there's a real case! Last time was real, and I never got in the way then. Please, Dean, I just want to meet him," she pleaded.

Dean clenched his jaw, eyes blazing. "Dammit, Lori, I said no. There are angels still hunting him, and I don't need another person to babysit while I'm dealing with him." He turned on his heel and stalked out of the room. Lori looked after him, wincing when she heard the slam of his bedroom door. She slumped in her seat, deflated.

Sam shifted uncomfortably in the seat across from her, sharing a glance with Kevin. Lori didn't want to look up and see the pity in his eyes, so she stood up without a word and walked quietly out of the room. Scout jumped up as she passed, padding next to her and giving her hand a comforting lick. Lori led the way to her room, letting Scout follow her in before softly shutting the door.

* * *

Lori was sitting at the desk in her room when there was a quiet knock on her door. Scout lifted his head, sniffing the air from his position by her side. He put his head back in his paws and closed his eyes, apparently approving of whoever was at the door. Lori sighed and dropped her pencil in the jar on the corner of her desk. She stared at the paper in front of her before flipping it over to the blank side.

Standing up, she walked to the door and opened it a few inches, peeking out. She sighed and opened the door another foot, leaning against the door frame as she looked up at Dean. His brow was furrowed and his green eyes were bright as they stared into her own deep blue. Lori shifted on her feet, waiting uncomfortably for Dean to say something.

Lori was about to close the door when he suddenly grabbed her waist, pushing her into the room and swiveled to press her against the wall with his body. He cupped his hand behind her head and brought his lips down to hers, kissing her fiercely. She inhaled in surprise, her hands on his arms. Dean brushed his tongue across her lips, willing her to open her mouth to him. Closing her eyes, Lori obliged and kissed him back strongly.

Dean's hand slid to her lower back, pressing her body into his. He deepened the kiss, letting out a soft groan when Lori wrapped her hands behind his head, tugging slightly on his hair. Lori was completely lost in him when he slowed their kiss and pulled back slightly, resting his forehead against hers. Lori stared up at his face, taking in all of his features and silently willing him to look up at her. Dean's eyes remained on the floor as he heaved a sigh. "I'm leaving now."

Pursing her lips, Lori looked down. "Alright," she responded in a whisper. She turned her head to the side, avoiding Dean's eyes as he looked up warily. Fighting was not something she wanted to do right now, and crying was something she wanted to do even less. Lori figured that if she looked up, one of those things was bound to happen.

Dean stepped back, hands on her upper arms as he stared at her. "It'll only be a couple days. I need you to promise me you'll stay here."

Lori winced slightly. She had no intention of staying here, whether it was to go with him or to take a trip to Michigan. She hated making a promise that she intended to break, so she instead kept her head down and said nothing.

With a sigh, Dean let go of her arms and stood up stiffly. He stood quietly a few seconds in front of her before turned and walking out of her room without another word. Lori blinked a few times, composing herself. Dean knew she would try to leave, and would take measures to prevent her from doing so. She would just have to stay one step ahead of him.

Walking to her door, Lori peeked out to see if Dean was still somewhere in the hallway. She heard voices coming from the main room, so she crept quietly down the hall to where she could make out what was being said.

"...going to try to leave, either to follow me and meet Cas or to go home. I'm taking all of the keys to the front door except for yours, so as long as you keep the door locked, you shouldn't have any problems. I'll be back in a few days." She peeked around the corner, spotting Dean heading up the stairs to the front door. Sam was twirling a small item in his hand, staring thoughtfully at it. Lori watched as he pocketed the key and sat back down at the table.

Leaning back against the wall out of his sight, Lori puffed out a breathe of air. That key was going to be hers, one way or another.

* * *

Later that night, Lori picked up a few stray laundry items off her floor and headed down the hall. She stopped outside of the bathroom, hearing the shower running. She knocked on the door. "Hey, Sam? I'm putting laundry in, mind if I come in and grab the basket from in there?" She heard him yell out something that sounded like 'yeah, sure' and opened the door.

A wall of steam smacked her in the face as she stepped into the bathroom. The glass of the shower door was completely fogged up, hiding Sam from her view. _And hiding me from his_, she thought triumphantly. She walked over to the laundry bin, sliding it out from under the counter. "Just leave what's on the floor," Sam called out from the shower.

"Sure, I'll just bring the basket back when you're all done," she replied. Lori stooped down quickly and picked up his discarded jeans, pushing her hand into each pocket until her fingers connected with a small, hard object. Grinning, Lori withdrew her hand and the item and quietly placed Sam's jeans back on the floor. She picked up the laundry basket and hurried out, shutting the door behind her. Throwing her clothes into the bin, she raced down to the laundry room. If she was going to leave Sam to feel the wrath of his brother, the least she could do was leave behind clean laundry.

She hurried to start the load of clothes before taking off back to her room. She picked up her backpack from a dark corner of her closet, already packed with clothes and necessities. She grabbed her jacket off the hook and shoved her arms into it, shrugging it on and slinging the backpack over her shoulders. Bending down, she took Scout's head in her hands. "You stay here and look after Sam, okay boy? I'll be back in just a couple days." Scout whined and licked her nose in response.

Lori scratched his head and stood up, looking around the room before striding to her door. She peeked out and was pleased to hear the shower still running down the hall. She made her way quickly down the hall to the main room, peeking around the corner before going in. Kevin was sitting at the table, his head resting in an open book and his arms hanging limp at his sides. Lori smiled and stifled a giggle at the small river of drool coming out of his mouth.

She tiptoed across the room and up the stairs to the front door, looking over her shoulder before inserting the key in the lock. She turned it slowly, holding her breathe as the lock clicked open. She peeked back down at Kevin, assuring herself that he was indeed still asleep. With a deep breathe, she pulled open the front door agonizingly slowly, trying to make her exit as quiet as possible.

When the door was open far enough to let her through, Lori took the key out of the lock. Digging in her pocket, she found a small note she had scribbled out before leaving her room. Setting the key and note on the first step down to the main room, Lori turned back to the door. She didn't want to leave the key behind, but she couldn't just lock Sam and Kevin up until Dean got back. Setting her shoulders, Lori walked out the door, pulling it shut behind her.


	15. Chapter 15

Lori crouched down a few feet back from the road, hidden in the trees. She squinted as the headlights grew nearer, watching the truck's approach. It breezed by, kicking up fallen leaves in its wake. When the glowing red taillights faded into the distance, she stood up and brushed a few leaves off her shoulders.

Between her own world and this one, Lori knew better than to let a stranger try to pick her up on the side of the road in the middle of the night. She bent down to pat her boot, reassuring herself that the knife she had taken was still in place. Her trek from the bunker had been quiet so far, but one couldn't be too careful. She just hoped that she never had to use the thing, knowing she would be quickly outmatched.

Straightening, Lori moved down to the road, resuming her walk on its edge. A slow breeze brushed through her long hair, tickling her skin. She pulled up her hood, stuffing her hands in her pockets to keep her fingers warm.

Lori absentmindedly played with the cell phone in her jacket pocket. Before leaving she had turned off the GPS and taken out the battery, knowing that once Sam or Kevin realized she was gone that they would try to track her down. She knew it would have been stupid to leave it altogether, so she had kept it in her jacket.

Rounding a curve in the road, the woods suddenly opened up into small fields, the lights of a town twinkling just a little farther down the road. Lori smiled wearily, ready to be done walking. At the edge of the town, there was an empty bench sitting under a lamp post, advertising a bus schedule. Peering at the list, she ran her finger down the schedule to compare destinations and departure times.

Before she had even reached the bottom of the list, a large bus pulled up and stopped next to the bench, opening its doors to her. Lori looked up, walking over to the steps. "Is there an airport nearby, or maybe a train station?" she asked.

The middle aged man behind the wheel turned to look at her. He gave her a dull, tired stare, scratching his salt-and-pepper beard. "Third stop," he answered shortly. Lori nodded and stepped onto the bus, adjusting her backpack on her shoulders.

The bus was nearly empty, with just a young couple leaning on each other near the back and an older woman staring out the window a few rows up. Lori took an empty seat near the front, setting her backpack down on the seat beside her as the bus doors slid closed and they began to drive away.

* * *

Lori stepped out into the terminal, searching for a sign to point her to the exit. Finding one and turning right, she began walking and pulled the cell phone out of her jacket pocket. Finding the battery with her other hand, Lori stared down at the two small items warily.

She knew that Sam and Kevin would have noticed her absence by now, and would have told Dean. She also knew that they would have seen her credit card transaction when she bought the plane ticket. With a sigh, she inserted the battery and powered on her phone.

As soon as the phone found service, it began to buzz uncontrollably as the texts and voicemails started streaming in. Lori sat down on a bench near the exit, figuring she might as well go through all the messages while she was still inside where it was warm. Opening her messaging folder, she clicked through seven texts from both Sam and Kevin. Each message was similar, and every one included some very unfriendly terminology.

Switching to her voicemail, she listened to three separate messages from Sam. She felt guilty as she listened to the hurt and worry in his voice, asking her what she was thinking, and why she would do such a thing, and where she was going. Noticing there were no more new messages, Lori wondered if Sam had even told his brother she was missing, since she hadn't gotten any messages from Dean.

Lori dialed Sam's number, leaning back against the wall and closing her eyes. She wanted to reassure him that she was fine, and that she was truly sorry about deliberately tricking him. The phone rang twice before he picked up on the other side. Before Sam said anything, Lori burst out her apology.

"Sam, I'm really sorry that I tricked you like that, I hope you know I didn't mean anything against you. I just really need to see my home and Dean wasn't ever going to let me leave. I made it to Michigan without any trouble, so there's no need to tell Dean I ever left. I'll take the first flight back tomorrow after I see my hometown. I'm really sorry, Sam, I hope you can understand why I had to leave. Do you forgive me?"

The line was quiet on the other side as Lori sat anxiously waiting for a response. She could hear a steady hum in the background, making her furrow her brow. "Sam? Are you driving right now?"

"Sam's riding shotgun, actually," a deep voice answered coolly. Lori grimaced. _Crap._ "Dean…" she began.

"You have six hours," Dean cut her off. Lori heard a sharp click, indicating that he had ended the call. _Double crap._ He was definitely pissed. Lori rubbed her eyes, knowing that once he picked her up, she would never hear the end of it. With a sigh, Lori stood and walked to one of the kiosks, looking for one last bus to take her home.

* * *

Looking around, Lori was overwhelmed with homesickness. Her hometown was exactly the same as the one she had been taken from. The bus pulled away as she stood frozen to the spot, tears in her eyes. Every tree, every crack in the sidewalk, every advertisement in the storefront windows were all so familiar to her. She walked slowly through town, the businesses giving way to apartments and houses.

Cars swept by and early morning joggers hurried around her, giving annoyed glances over their shoulder as Lori continued her slow path. Her mind was blank, unable to form a clear thought or process any of what she was seeing. The last time she had walked these streets was back in her own world, when she had come home to visit for her mother's birthday.

Lori's feet followed the familiar path out of town until she reached her own street. Tall oak trees stood scattered along each side of the road, their brightly colored leaves shimmering with dew. Taking a deep, steadying breathe, Lori forced her feet forward. She was both excited and apprehensive, unsure as to what she would find just half a mile down the road.

When the line of trees broke, Lori stood in front of where her house would have been. She stared unseeingly at the grassy lot, weeds blowing gently in the breeze. The shallow hill just to her left dropped down to a single towering willow tree. Lori remembered all the summer afternoons she had spent growing up leaning up against that tree, reading in the shade underneath its long branches. Michael had always tried to sneak up behind her and drop handfuls of leaves in her hair, to which she had always jumped up and chased him around and around until they both collapsed under the willow, laughing.

Lori dropped to her knees, tears blurring her vision. She had already lost Michael once, and it felt like she had just lost him all over again. Throwing her head back, she let out a cry that sent a few nearby birds flying. She sobbed, dropping her head into her hands. As a rumbling grew louder behind her, Lori choked back her tears and stood, brushing wet blades of grass from her knees. She turned and watched the sleek black Impala pull off the side of the road, coming to a stop before her.

The engine cut off and the brothers stepped out, Scout bounding out ahead of Sam toward Lori. She turned her hand outward and let Scout lick her palm, staring blankly as Dean strode ahead of his brother to her. He grabbed her upper arms roughly, shaking her. "What the hell were you thinking?" he demanded.

Lori stared up into his flaring green eyes, unable to respond. Her mind had shut down, only responding enough to go through the basic motions in order to avoid all the thoughts and emotions coursing through her veins. Lori watched passively as Dean's face changed, his features working between anger and worry and what she was sure was pity. His grip loosened on her arms as Sam finally reached them.

Turning around, Lori gestured to the ground at her feet. "The front door would be right here," she said quietly. She stepped a few feet toward the willow, stopping and turning to face the boys again. "This was my room."

Scout whined at her feet, pacing restlessly around her. Lori watched the brothers exchange a look, both standing warily where she had left them. She blinked and turned, walking up to stand underneath the willow. She lifted her chin and stared up into the tree, closing her eyes and listening to the breeze flow through its branches.

A hand rested gently on her shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. Lori dropped her head and turned, wrapping her arms around Dean's waist and resting her cheek on his chest. After a moment his arms circled around her, his hand rubbing slow circles on her back. They stood in silence for a while, Lori staring off into the trees while Dean's chin rested on her head. Her heart beat slowly against his chest, each pulse a dull ache within her. Taking a deep breathe, Lori pulled back and gave Dean's arm a squeeze as a silent form of thanks.

She turned and walked straight back to the Impala, opening the door and allowing Scout to jump up before climbing into the backseat. Sam and Dean soon followed, getting in without a word. Dean started the engine and turned them around to head back through town to the highway. Lori stared out the window at the willow, trying to memorize every sway of its branches before it disappeared behind the line of oak trees.

The houses turned back to businesses, Lori's eyes sweeping blankly over them. She could feel Dean's eyes on her in the rear view mirror, and had already caught Sam once staring worriedly at her in his side mirror. She had given him what she thought was a reassuring smile, but he had only furrowed his brow more and looked away. She sighed, knowing once the boys thought she had settled down from her emotional roller coaster they would really lay into her.

Lori watched the buildings sweep by in a blur as they crossed town, heading back to the highway. When they stopped at the final traffic light Lori swept her gaze around, trying to take in as much as she could. She knew this may be the last time she ever saw her hometown if the Winchesters couldn't find a way to send her back.

She stared in the window of the local coffee shop, remembering times she had stopped there with some old high school friends on particularly cold winter afternoons. The small counter was stacked high with coffee cups and sale advertisements and pictures of donuts, just as she remembered. It was nearly empty of customers except for one tall older boy, around college age, sipping from a steaming cup and reading a newspaper at the table by the window. He brushed his hair out of his eyes and sat back, looking out the window then and making eye contact with her.

Lori's sat up straight, pressing her hand to the window. The boy cocked his head to the side, staring at her curiously. Lori felt her heart rate spike as the Impala began to move, the light now green.

"Stop!" Lori yelled. Scout jumped beside her and Sam whipped his head around, muscles tense. Dean slammed on the brakes, steering them off the road and coming to a stop. He turned in his seat to face her. "What the hell?"

Lori tumbled out the door before Dean even finished his sentence. She stood and faced the coffee shop, looking in the window to where the boy was now standing, staring back at her. She was barely aware of the brothers climbing out of the car, Dean moving around the car to stand in front of her. He was saying something to her but Lori wasn't listening. She brushed past him, quickening her pace as she crossed the street to the coffee shop.

"Dammit Lori, stop!" Dean yelled, grabbing her arm and forcing her to halt in the medium. He stepped between her and the coffee shop, forcing her to look at him. "Would you tell me what the hell is going on?" When Lori tried to see around him, he tightened his grip and held her in place. "Answer me!"

Lori looked up at him, exasperated. "Dean, I would know that face anywhere, let me go!" She struggled against his grip, trying in vain to break free.

"Who are you talking about?" Dean prodded. Lori pushed at him, needing to see around him to make sure the boy was still there. She caught a glimpse of the coffee shop window over Dean's shoulder, heart dropping when she realized it was now empty. She stopped struggling, Dean staring warily at her. He glanced over her shoulder back to the Impala where Sam stood before shifting so she could fully see around him, keeping his grip on her arms.

Lori took a few shaky breathes, eyes searching frantically for any trace of where the boy had gone. His newspaper and coffee were gone from the table, the chair tucked neatly back in. The interior was dark, a _Sorry, We're Closed_ sign hanging in the door window. Lori shook her head, trying to make sense of what she was seeing.

A young woman rounded the corner of the building then, fumbling with a set of keys. She stopped at the door to the coffee shop, inserting three different keys before successfully unlocking the door. When the woman spotted Lori and Dean standing in the median, she waved politely to them. "Sorry we're opening so late guys, I'll give you a discount on your drinks since you seem like you've been waiting for me to open," she called, disappearing into the store. She flipped the sign to _Yes, We're Open!_ and turned on the lights, making her way behind the counter.

Dean turned his head back to Lori, looking at her questioningly. "Are you all right? You're shaking."

Lori slowly turned her face to look up at him. "The coffee shop... Wasn't it just open?" Dean furrowed his brow as he stared down at her. After a moment's hesitation, he slowly shook his head back and forth. "You saw that lady just unlock it. Are you sure you're okay? Did you think you saw something?" Lori looked back into the coffee shop window, blinking uncomprehendingly.

"My brother, Dean. I saw Michael."


	16. Chapter 16

Lori sat in the backseat of the Impala, her hand slowly stroking Scout's back. His head was in her lap, and every so often he would lick Lori's hand as if to tell her that he was still there for her.

"You need to eat."

Lori jumped at the sudden noise and looked up to see Dean watching her in the rear view mirror. He had said it softly, but it felt as if he had yelled it out loud. She knew she was still tense from the scene at the coffee shop, but nothing had been able to calm her down. Dean's gaze on her was filled with the same wariness and worry that he had looked at her with back in Michigan.

She had stood frozen to the spot, staring into the coffee shop. The woman who unlocked the front door had started giving them uncomfortable looks, so Dean had pulled her back to the Impala. He and Sam had both tried to get her to describe what she had seen, but Lori had been unable to say a word since. She had only stared into Dean's eyes, hearing his voice but not his words.

Lori blinked, her mind coming back to the present. Dean's brow was furrowed, trying to read her face in the mirror. Lori sighed and picked up the fast food bag from by her feet, pulling out a carton of french fries. She looked at Dean to make sure he was watching while she ate one. His jaw clenched slightly as he turned his gaze back to the road, apparently satisfied. Lori sighed, pulling another fry out and offering it to Scout, who took it eagerly from her hand. She wasn't even the slightest bit hungry, but she didn't want Dean to pester her about it any more.

Turning back to stare out the window, Lori continued to absentmindedly hand her fries to Scout. She leaned her head against the window, closing her eyes at it's coldness. The boy's face flashed against the back of her eyes. She was absolutely sure it was Michael. How had he gotten here? And how was he even still alive? Lori squeezed her eyes shut harder, trying to force away the memories of losing her little brother. She held back her tears, determined not to be seen as some blubbering baby by these nails-for-breakfast hunters. Taking a shaky breathe, she settled down for the long ride back to the bunker.

* * *

By the time they got back to the bunker, it had been dark for quite some time. It had been a very quiet ride after they had picked up food, neither of the boys speaking to Lori and only exchanging a handful of words themselves. The air was still tense as they unloaded the trunk of the Impala in silence. Lori let Scout jump out of the backseat before her, scooting out after him.

She stood and watched as Scout bounded over to Sam, sniffing at his hand for trace amounts of food or treats. Sam smiled and ruffled the hair on his head before picking up the weapons duffel bag and heading into the bunker, Scout trailing happily behind. Lori looked nervously over at Dean, who was still rummaging in the trunk. She walked quickly toward the door, not wanting to hear the lecture just yet.

"Lori."

Cringing, Lori stopped reluctantly. She turned to face Dean, who was now standing up straight and staring at her. She couldn't quite read his face, and subconsciously took a step back. Dean narrowed his eyes and stalked toward her, throwing up his hands. "What in the hell were you thinking? I told you not to leave, dammit! And tricking Sam and Kevin? What the fuck did you think all of this would accomplish?" His eyes flashed, burning down at her.

Lori swallowed and looked away, feeling guilty about lying to them all but knowing she had to leave at some point. Dean stepped into her line of sight, hands clenched. "You think you know enough about the things that go bump in the night, but you don't. Taking off in the middle of the goddamn night? Forget monsters, how did you expect to protect yourself from people? You can't trust anyone in this world, Lori. Hell, on any other day I would say you shouldn't even trust us. But right now, we're all you've got. I wouldn't go testing the limits of that."

Dean turned on his heel and stalked away, one hand raking through his hair. Lori raced after him, planting herself in front of him so he was forced to either stop or run her over. He pushed past her, reaching for the door. Lori grabbed his arm and pulled back. "Dean, wait. Please, just listen to me!" she pleaded. Dean stopped and turned toward her, shoulders tense and eyes blazing.

Lori dropped her hands from his arm. "You of all people know how much family can mean to a person. Just put yourself in my shoes. Imagine if you suddenly woke up in another dimension all by yourself, without any clue as to how or why. Wouldn't you do anything to find a way back to Sam? Can't you see? I had to go. I had to see if there was anything that might lead me home."

She angrily wiped a tear from her face. "I know I don't belong here, Dean. This world, hunting monsters, I don't have what it takes to be the hero. I realize having me here just slows you down, and I'm sorry for that. And I'm sorry that it has to be you to do it all, Dean. If there were some way I could give you a normal life, where you don't have to search out the things that want to kill you... Just know that I would do it in a heartbeat. Because you deserve it, Dean Winchester."

Lori put a hand softly against his cheek. Dean closed his eyes, a pained expression on his face. She knew her words were bringing up painful memories of Lisa and Ben, but she truly meant what she said. Lori had watched his transformation on TV for years, had felt heartbreak with him, had cheered for him when they actually had some good luck once in a while. She knew how much he deserved a decent life, both him and his brother.

"You've done so much for this world. I didn't mean to make things worse by leaving." Lori dropped her hand, giving Dean one last look before sliding past him into the bunker.

* * *

Lori lay on her side, staring unseeingly at the wall. She had said a short apology to Sam and Kevin before escaping to her bedroom. Scout had tried to follow her in, but Lori had shut him out, too. She had squeezed her eyes shut trying to block out his soft whine as he pawed at the door. After a few minutes, he seemed to give up and leave her alone.

It had been well over an hour since she had laid down to go to sleep. She could feel the exhaustion in her bones, but her restless mind wouldn't settle down. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw the face of either her brother or Dean. Her brother always started in her mind as a young boy, laughing and smiling wide. He would turn his back for one second and suddenly was the 19 year old boy from the coffee shop, giving her the same peculiar look.

It was something that had bothered her, that look. It was pretty clear he recognized her, but there was no reaction, no emotion in his eyes. He had regarded her almost with a detached interest. Maybe she had just imagined it, and he was in shock just like she was. But why had he disappeared on her again?

Then there was Dean. When Lori saw his face, everything around him was blurred, as if he had a soft glow surrounding him. His face was always sharp and clear, his eyes shining with different emotions. She watched in third person as he joked with Sam, questioned witnesses undercover, fought monsters, and argued with demons. It was always when the memory of him with Lisa and Ben came up that her eyes always flew back open.

A soft knock sounded at her door, causing Lori to look up. She stayed put on the bed, partially because she didn't want to see anyone and partially because her body was just too tired. After a few moments, the knock sounded again. "Lori, I know you're awake in there. Can I come in?" Dean said softly through the door. Lori grabbed a pillow and buried her head under it. It was one thing to drown out Scout scratching at the door, but it was something completely different to ignore a Winchester.

She heard the door handle jiggling slightly as Dean tried to open it. Lori had locked it when she first came in, not having the strength to see anyone again, at least until morning. Dean's footsteps faded down the hall, and Lori brought her head out from under the pillow. She sighed curling her legs up in a ball and pulling the covers up higher.

The doorknob clicked suddenly, the lock sliding back. The door opened and Dean stood up, tossing his lock pick set on her desk. He moved into her room, shutting the door softly behind him. Lori watched him, not moving to welcome him or kick him out. Dean crossed the room to her bed, sitting down beside her. He sat quietly, watching her as she watched him. With a sigh, he eventually broke eye contact and looked at his hands.

"I didn't mean to yell at you like that," he said softly. Lori furrowed her brow in confusion. "You don't have anything to apologize for, I'm the one who ran off."

Dean nodded. "Yes, but I'm the one who wouldn't let you leave." He turned to face her. "You were right, about what I would have done. I wouldn't have let anyone or anything stand between me and my brother. I should have just taken you there myself instead of trying to keep you here like a caged animal. I just... I didn't think anything good would come from going there." He pushed his hand through her hair, gently brushing it away from her face. "You're just an innocent girl who got thrown into the world of the damned. I didn't want you to see anything more than you had to."

Lori looked away, lips drawing down in a sad frown. "I'm not as innocent as you may think," she mumbled.

Dean cocked his head, urging her to continue. Lori took a deep breathe, mentally steeling herself. "Growing up, Michael and I... We used to be so close. Something changed when I got into high school, though. He started to shut me out. I didn't have any idea why, but he did. And instead of trying to figure out why, I just started to shut him out, too. My mom was nearly pulling her hair out from all the bickering we did.

"Michael started flunking his classes, sneaking out at night. One night, he just... didn't come back." Lori took a steadying breathe, shifting on the bed. "The police found his jacket two days later behind an old abandoned house a mile down from where we lived. There was a lot of blood, they said it was his. The police said it was enough to assume they were working a homicide instead of a missing person. They never found him," she ended softly.

Dean stood up from the bed, taking off his jeans so he was just in boxers and a t-shirt. He climbed under the covers next to her, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her into his chest. He stroked her hair, planting a soft kiss on the top of her head. Lori curled her body against him. She felt like a small portion of the weight had been taken off her shoulder after telling Dean everything, but reliving the memory brought such heartache back. "I was so stupid for treating him like that. If I had been a better big sister, maybe it never would have happened-"

"Hey," Dean said softly, cutting her off. "Don't talk like that. It wasn't your fault, baby. It wasn't your fault." They lay together, Dean softly murmuring into Lori's hair and rubbing her back until she felt into a deep sleep.


	17. Chapter 17

Lori blinked her eyes open, stretching her arms above her head. She was uncomfortably warm, a heavy arm and leg draped over her. Rolling onto her other side, she looked up into Dean's soft green eyes, staring vibrantly at her. The corner of his mouth turned up in a smile, and Lori smiled shyly back at him. She ran a hand through her tangled hair, subconsciously wondering how long he had been watching her sleep.

"So does this mean I'm forgiven?" Lori asked quietly, looking up through her lashes at Dean. He leaned forward and pressed his lips softly to her forehead. Leaning back, he brushed her hair back from her face. "After everything you told me last night... I can't blame you for doing what you did. I know I would have tried to find Sam again." He shook his head and smirked down at her. "You really know how to test a guys patience, though."

Lori smacked his arm, bringing out a deep throaty laugh from Dean. He pulled her against his chest. "You are the most frustrating, reckless, bull-headed girl I've ever had to misfortune to deal with." She raised an eyebrow at him, causing Dean to hold up his hands. "Hey, that was not a challenge!" Lori giggled as he struggled to untangle himself from the sheets in an exaggerated attempt to get away from her. When he managed to flail his arms so much that he fell off the bed, Lori burst out in a fit of laughter.

Dean stood up quickly, brushing off his pants. Lori covered her mouth in a poor attempt to suppress another giggle as he pointed a finger at her. "You didn't see anything!" He insisted. Lori bit the inside of her cheek, desperately trying to hold in her laughter. Dean's serious expression softened and broke into a grin as he leaned over her.

Planting a kiss on her lips, he straightened and looked down at her, a strange smile on his face. Lori blinked up at him, expecting him to say something. After a few moments, he turned at headed to the door. She cocked her head to the side, wondering idly what that look was for. Dean stopped with his hand on the door handle and turned back to look at Lori, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. He turned the handle and pulled open the door, allowing a large blur to race into the room.

Lori laughed and clapped her hands as Scout jumped up on the bed, licking her hands and face. She wrapped her arms around his body and hugged him, nuzzling her face into his fur. Lori peeked up to where Dean stood and smiled at him, watching him turn and walk out the door. Turning her attention back to the ball of fluff on her lap, she scratched behind his ears as he leaned into her hand. "Well Scout, how about we get dressed and see what there is to eat."

* * *

Lori padded into the main room, Scout sticking close to her heels. Dean looked up from where he sat at the table, watching her walk into the room. He was seated across from Kevin and his brother, who both had their heads bowed as the concentrated on the books in front of them. Lori strode past them all, briefly running her hand along Dean's shoulders as she went to find food in the kitchen.

Returning with an abnormally large blueberry muffin in hand, she plopped down in the chair next to Dean. Kevin and Sam jumped and looked up in unison when Lori dropped her plate on the table. Sam gave her a half smile and returned to the book in front of him, his brow furrowed in concentration. Lori gave Kevin a sheepish smile as he blinked at her.

"I really am sorry for tricking you both. I just couldn't think clearly when I didn't know what was left of my home." Lori hunched her shoulders guiltily, waiting for the reprimanding to come from either of the two that sat across from her. Kevin smiled at her, his eyes kind. "Don't sweat it," he said, returning to his book. Sam simply waved a hand at her, acknowledging her apology without looking up from his text.

Dean put an arm around her, rubbing the small of her back. Lori smiled gratefully at his comforting touch, reassured that she was forgiven by all. She curled her legs under her and grabbed the muffin off the plate, breaking off a piece and plopping it into her mouth. "So what are you guys working on now?" she asked curiously.

Kevin marked his place with a finger and looked up. "Well I found some footnotes on the angel tablet that may have something to do with putting the angels back in Heaven. Thing is, I was only able to translate them into Elamite, which is another dead language. We're going through and trying to find something that may help translate it into an easier language."

Lori nodded, pursing her lips. Plopping the last bit of muffin into her mouth, she picked up one of the books piled on the table and settled it on her lap, opening it up. "One more pair of eyes couldn't hurt," she said, throwing another sheepish smile Kevin's way. Maybe this would start to make up for her abandoning them. Kevin nodded and pushed a paper toward her, strange marks covering the page. Lori grimaced, knowing she had just signed up for a long, frustrating day.

* * *

Lori paced the floor of the main room, stretching out her cramped legs. They had been working for countless hours, the tension growing as each person became more and more frustrated. Empty beer bottles sat scattered on the table, many in front of Dean's spot. She knew how much he hated book research, and had been getting him refills as an excuse to stand up and walk around for a minute, gratefully looking around at anything that didn't have writing on it.

"Have we tried Professor whats-his-name?" Lori asked no one in particular. Sam looked up. "Professor Morrison? He's unreachable. Took a sabbatical to live amongst the Trobrianders of Papua, New Guinea." Lori sighed, passing a hand over her face. She stopped suddenly, a thought hitting her. "What about Crowley? It's not like you guys keep him down here for gossip hour."

Sam and Dean exchange a look. "Worth a shot, I guess," Sam shrugged. Dean nodded. "Yeah, just can't fall for any of his 'quid pro quo' crap."

* * *

"I'm _not_ about to just sit here, Dean!" Lori crossed her arms, glaring over at him. She noticed Sam and Kevin shift uncomfortably next to her, but she was too fired up to apologize. Dean glared back at her. "You understand this is the king of hell, right? You've seen our show enough to know he's all tricks, and there is no way you are going in there."

Lori pursed her lips. "Fine, a compromise. I won't go in, but I will get to listen just around the corner. Fair?" She looked to Sam and Kevin for help, both of whom averted their eyes. Lori couldn't blame them for not wanting to take a side against Dean when he was angry. She looked back to Dean, consciously trying to soften her face and give her famous puppy-dog eyes.

Her plan must have worked, because Dean's eyes softened just barely. Dean looked to Sam and Kevin, searching for backup or any sort of help. Kevin was scuffing his shoe on the floor, and Sam had found something very interesting to look at on his fingernails. With a sigh Dean turned back to face Lori. "I don't like it one bit," he shook a finger at her. Lori squealed, throwing her arms around his neck in triumph.

Dean stepped back in surprise before wrapping his arms around her back. "You are the most frustrating woman..." he muttered into her hair. Lori smiled, pulling back slightly so she could look up at him. "I know," she replied simply. Kevin cleared his throat beside them, Sam chuckling to himself.

"Can we get back to business here?" he pleaded. Lori blushed and released her hold on Dean's neck. Dean tightened his arms behind her and kissed her neck once more before letting her go and turning to Kevin and his brother. He waved a hand, motioning them onward to the basement.

When they reached the room that contained Crowley's secret room, Dean stopped Lori with a hand on her hip. He held one finger up to his lips, signalling her to be quiet as they talked to Crowley. Lori nodded and drew her fingers across her mouth, pretending to pull a zipper shut over her lips. Dean nodded and followed her in to stand next to Kevin and Sam, who were waiting silently next to the bookshelf that hid the secret room.

Dean pulled Lori to stand in front of the shelf next to the hidden door, pointing at the floor. Lori rolled her eyes, giving an exaggerated acknowledgement that, yes, she would stay right here. Dean smirked and grabbed her face between his hands, pushing her up against the bookshelf with his body. He kissed her passionately, and Lori opened up to him in an instant.

He played with his tongue on her lips, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. Lori's tongue darted out to meet his, a small groan escaping her. Sam smacked his brothers arm, pulling Dean off of her. Lori blushed deeply, dipping her head. Dean stared at her as his brother pulled him toward the hidden door, his eyes hungry. Lori gave a small, sheepish wave as the boys turned and opened the door, stepping inside.


	18. Chapter 18

Lori leaned up against the bookcase, her neck craned forward in an effort to hear better. She knew better than to stretch too far and risk getting seen by Crowley. Muffled voices drifted over to her from inside the room. Pursing her lips, she inched herself forward until she was right up against the crack between the bookshelf and the open shelf/door. From here, she could just make out the arguing going on.

"Come on, Moose! Even Dahmer got one telephone call!" Lori furrowed her brow. _If Crowley was demanding a phone call in exchange for reading those doodles... Who would he call? Abbadon? _She shifted on her feet.

Hearing multiple angry footsteps coming quickly toward the door, Lori stepped back. Dean and Sam charged through first, followed closely by Kevin. Dean had a fierce scowl on his face, staring his brother down. Sam looked perplexed, as if trying to figure out his next chess move. They closed the door to Crowley's room and stopped next to Lori.

"No way." Dean stated simply. Sam pursed his lips in disagreement, causing Kevin to throw up his hands. "Seriously? You want to let Crowley communicate with Abaddon? A king and a power-mad knight of hell isn't enough for you? You want to throw a demonic team-up into the mix?"

"I don't trust Crowley, either. But I can't honestly see him working with Abaddon. He hates her too much."

"You said it. You can't trust him," Dean insisted.

"We don't have to," Lori piped up. She shrunk back slightly when all three men turned to stare at her, apparently just remembering that she was even there. She swallowed and straightened her shoulders. "Look, Crowley's bound. You can end the call whenever you want. Even if he wanted to give Abaddon information, he has nothing to give her. He doesn't even know where the bunker is, right?"

"What if he's lying about being able to decrypt the translation?" Dean said, moving toward her. Lori lifted her chin, a smirk rising on her face. "We're gonna need proof."

* * *

Lori ran a hand through her hair, impatiently brushing it behind her ear. She leaned forward toward the crack in the door to once again listen in on the negotiations. She heard the boys settle into their positions, their steps coming to a rest. The quiet sound of paper hitting a table floated back to her. "More specific," Sam demanded.

"Ingredients for a spell," Crowley replied mockingly. A long couple seconds went by before Lori heard a deep sigh. "Heart of a Nephilim. Cupid's bow. Grace of an angel."

_I knew he could do it! _Lori thought triumphantly. _Now if only we had a way of verifying what he translates from the actual footnotes..._ She shifted closer.

The sound of something slightly heavy being plunked on the table brought Lori back to the present. "Ah ah ah," she heard Crowley's voice say. _What? But Crowley said he wanted the phone call, so he needs Sam's blood. What does he want now?_

"Not your blood."

"What difference does it make?" Dean's voice asked incredulously.

A pause. Lori heard what she guessed was Crowley shifting to face Dean. "Stuck in here, you can't fault me for wanting a little variety. You do have such a sweet, intoxicating scent about you Dean, and I'm willing to wager that you haven't suddenly switched shampoos and embraced your femininity. No, it seems you've brought a girl home. And from what I can smell of her, she is standing just outside those doors."

Time seemed to slow as Lori took in what she had overheard. Sure, it was fun to watch the interactions with the king of hell through her TV screen. But now that the moment to meet him was here, she was feeling a little less brave. This man was not just some ruthless killer who was all beef and no brain. He planned out every single move, cold and calculating, charming his way through everything. And that was a hell of a lot scarier.

"Come on out, lovely. There's no need to hide," Crowley called sweetly.

"No way, Crowley," Dean spat. "You've got your options standing right here in front of you."

"It's been ages since I've seen anyone more feminine than you, Squirrel. It's either the girl, or it's no deal."

Lori stood frozen in her spot as Dean rounded the corner, walking swiftly up to her. He grabbed her arms, lightly shaking her until she looked up at him. She knew that she must looked like a deer in the headlights, too scared to move, her eyes wide and staring.

"We'll find another way," Dean insisted quietly, lowering his head to stare at her. He clenched his jaw, lightning flashing through his green eyes. "Come upstairs. We'll find another way to translate." He pushed gently on her arms, turning her toward the exit. Lori put up no resistance, her body still in shock that Crowley could simply smell her. That he wanted her blood for the demonic call.

"Come on, love. I'm all tied up and waiting for you," Crowley called through the open door. Lori stopped suddenly, causing Dean to bump into her. His hands pushed a little more insistently on her arms, but this time Lori wouldn't budge. She turned to face Dean, lifting her chin to meet his stormy eyes.

"I have to," she said quietly. Dean tensed and opened his mouth to argue, but Lori pressed a finger to his lips. "Dean, since I got here I've made myself a burden. I insist on coming along, I always do the exact opposite of what you ask of me. I'm tired of being the damsel who always has to be babysat. I know that I'm slowing you down. Slowing all of you down. You need your full concentration on the job, or one of these times you're going to get hurt because of me."

Lori looked back toward the open door. "I don't know why I was dropped here, in this world. But I'm going to do everything I can to help until we figure that out." Turning her eyes back to Dean, she dropped her finger from his lips. She wrapped her arms around Dean's neck, gently pulling his head down to meet her lips. She kissed him softly, sweetly, before pulling back again. "There won't be any other way, Dean. From how the show runs, luck usually runs out right about now," she added with a small smile.

Turning, Lori released her grip on Dean's neck and stepped toward the door. Dean quickly stepped around her to block her entrance. "Not even a kiss is gonna make me let you go in there," he said with finality, crossing his arms. Lori rubbed her hand over her face. It wasn't like she _wanted _to go in there and barter with the king of bartering. Sure, she had pictured so many scenarios on how she could outwit and outcharm him, but that was back when he was just a character in a story.

Sam came out of the holding room then, stopping next to his brother. Lori looked back and forth between the two. "Well, what if we just draw some blood out here? He doesn't have to see me, and he gets the blood he wants for the deal." Sam started to nod, looking over to Dean. "That could work."

"It's not like I'm gonna jump up and bite you. I just want a peek!" Crowley called out.

Lori closed her eyes, taking a deep breathe. She would just have to go in there and give up her blood on the spot, and Dean would just have to deal with it. Opening her eyes, she looked up at Dean. He avoided her eyes, desperately trying to come up with some other way. Setting her shoulders, she walked between Dean and Sam, stopping by the opening to Crowley's room. She waited until she felt Dean step up behind her before rounding the corner and entering.

Kevin was standing tensely to the side, looking relieved when the trio finally reentered the room. Lori's eyes fell on the man strapped to the chair in front of her. Crowley eyed her up and down, smiling appreciatively. Lori shivered, goosebumps forming on her arms as she remembered all the horrible things he had done. Tricking Bobby into giving up his soul, forcing the brothers to work for him to get Sam's soul back, working with Castiel and clouding the angel's judgement, taking Lisa and Ben from Dean, kidnapping Kevin and killing his girlfriend, torturing poor Samandriel...

"My my my, aren't you a thing to look at," Crowley said, ignoring the furious glare from Dean. "It'll be a shame when he tires of you and tosses you to the curb like the last one. Couldn't even leave that one with the memory of him." Lori blinked in shock, looking quickly over to Dean. He was visibly shaking, leaning forward with his fists balled at his sides and a terrifying look on his face.

Lori stepped in front of him, standing tall to get him to look at her and not Crowley. When he finally looked down at her, Lori almost stepped back from the intensity boiling in his eyes. She stood silently, letting Dean work himself down from his rage. After a few moments, Lori looked back to Crowley. He sat looking at the two of them, a smug grin on his face. Squaring her shoulders, Lori turned and walked up to Sam. "Let's get this over with."

Sam walked over to her, an empty syringe in his hand. Lori held out her arm, turning it up so that he could find her vein. She closed her eyes as he stuck in the needle and withdrew a vial of blood, concentrating on keeping her face blank. She wasn't scared of needles, but that didn't mean she enjoyed having one stuck in her arm. She felt Sam withdraw the needle and press a soft cloth to the inside of her elbow. Opening her eyes, she replaced Sam's fingers with her own and held down the cloth, waiting impatiently for her blood to clot.

Dean stepped up from behind her, dropping a bowl on the table in front of Crowley. Sam emptied the syringe into the bowl and stepped back, gesturing for Crowley to make his call. Lori stepped back, allowing Dean to place himself almost directly in front of her. She watched Crowley from over Dean's shoulder, still pressing the cloth to her elbow.

Looking down at the bowl on the table, Crowley nodded. "Thank you, Moose," he said sweetly, looking up at Sam. His eyes drifted over to Lori and Dean, lifting his chin. "Feeling a little protective there, Squirrel?" Dean narrowed his eyes, not answering. Lori laid a hand on his back, grateful for that trait. She knew Dean would do anything to protect his family, no matter how big or small. And he always had to save the damsel, Lori thought thankfully. The way he placed himself between her and Crowley calmed her nerves, even though she knew there was nothing Crowley could do in those chains.

Crowley sighed. "You're not very fun today," he mumbled, turning back to the bowl on the table. Lori shifted, stepping up closer to Dean so she could see around him clearer. She watched in silence with the boys as her own blood began to bubble within the bowl, connecting Crowley in his demonic phone call.


	19. Chapter 19

**Author's note:**

I'm so so sorry that it has taken this long for me to update! I got engaged over the holidays (yay!) and have been super busy with looking for jobs and homes and preparing for my last semester of college. I promise that I haven't forgotten about you wonderful readers. Your reviews and comments allow me to put so much more into this story, and I have high hopes for what will happen in future chapters. I am going to try really hard to keep this story updated as the semester goes, and especially as the plot thickens. Stay tuned!

* * *

"Would you stop that? You're making me nervous."

Lori sat on Dean's bed, leaning back against the headboard as she watched him pace back and forth in the middle of the room. She pulled her knees up against her chest, rubbing some warmth into her legs. After an abrupt end to their meeting with Crowley, everyone had split up, trying to find some quiet privacy to take in the new information. Sam had taken the bowl and needles to clean up, Kevin returned to the library, and Dean disappeared into his bedroom. Lori had showered and changed into a pair of comfy shorts and a tank top before wandering the bunker, running her hand along bookshelves and feeding a cheese slice to Scout. Eventually the silence became to much, and she sought out Dean in his bedroom.

"Hey, nobody asked you to come in here," Dean growled, pausing only to point an irritated finger at her. Lori shrugged off the comment, knowing he was still upset from the meeting. She sighed as he continued to wear a path into the carpet.

"He was lying. I know he was," muttered Dean, half to himself. Lori sat up, curling her legs to the side. "I don't believe him either. He has no reason to help the angels, so why would he give up the one way they can get back into heaven?" She furrowed her brow and looked down, pulling on a loose string from her shorts. "But we don't have any proof that he _was_ lying, either..."

Dean stopped his pacing and turned to face her. "How are you holding up?" he asked, eying her.

Lori cocked her head. "You mean from the meeting? Well, better than expected, I guess. I don't know what came over me in there, I acted like such a wimp. There was just something unnerving about the way he looked at me... it was like he knew something."

"What do you mean?" Dean asked slowly, sitting down on the bed. Lori shifted so he could put his feet up and sit next to her, his back against the wall. "I can't really explain it. He acted like he was just doing it all to piss you off, but..." she shook her head, trailing off.

Dean shifted so his shoulder was against the wall, allowing him to face her head on. "But what?" he prodded.

"I just can't shake the feeling that he knew me. That he knew I was out of place in this world, and almost as if he knew why. I don't know, Dean. I don't trust him." Lori looked up, her deep blue eyes finding his piercing green. She swallowed, watching the scruff on his cheeks move as he clenched his jaw. He seemed to be fighting between frustration, skepticism, and some other emotion. "What?" Lori asked nervously. "You think I'm stupid, don't you?"

Dean shook his head. "I can't think anything when you bite your lip like that," he muttered gruffly. Lori had barely even processed what he said when his lips came crashing down on hers. Dean weaved a hand into her still damp hair, kissing her hungrily. His other arm wrapped around her waist, and in one quick move he slid her down so she was laying flat underneath him.

His hands moving quickly, Dean gripped the neckline of Lori's tank top up and pulled hard, ripping the fabric across her chest and exposing her favorite black lace bra. Lori gasped, surprised and incredibly turned on by the frayed fabric clinging to her body. Dean moved his lips down her neck, suckling at her soft spot. Her heart raced as she scrambled to pull his shirt off. Momentarily releasing her, Dean yanked his shirt over his head and wrapped his hands around to unfasten her bra, throwing it impatiently down on the floor with their shirts.

Lori arched her back, bringing her breasts up to his waiting mouth. She closed her eyes, relishing the feel of his tongue as it flicked lightly over her nipple, kneading her other breast in his hand. She gasped loudly when he tugged on her nipple with his teeth, releasing it and blowing a cool breathe over her breast. The icy sensation coursed through her and she arched her back again, pleading for more.

Dean smirked and repeated his torment over her other breast, his hands snaking down to her shorts. She writhed under his body as he ripped her cotton shorts off, tearing her panties off in the process. He pressed his hands to the insides of her thighs, parting her legs so he could lay between them. Lori wiggled against the roughness of his jeans on her bareness. She moved her hands between them, unbuttoning his jeans and pushing as his waistband. Dean stood up and pulled his jeans and boxers off, crawling back between her legs.

Lori wrapped her hands around his back, feeling his shoulders and muscles flex as he pushed himself into her. She leaned her head back, moaning at the fullness. Wasting no time, Dean picked up a quick, heated rhythm, pounding all his anger and frustrations into her. His urgent pace made Lori's breasts bounce wildly, bringing a smirk to Dean's face and a moan from Lori's lips.

Clawing at Dean's back, Lori moaned loudly. She bit her lip, knowing Sam and Kevin were still somewhere in the bunker. Dean gave her a wicked, knowing look, and pounded faster and deeper into her. Lori soon forgot any notion of trying to keep quiet and was rocking against him, matching his rhythm as she quickly climbed higher and higher. Feeling her climax brewing, Lori dug her nails in, bucking wildly against Dean as her orgasm crashed over her body. With a grunt, Dean buried himself completely inside her quaking center and came to his own climax.

Panting, Lori sunk back into the sheets, little shivers still coursing through her in the aftermath of her pleasure. She blinked unseeingly up at the ceiling, her heart trying to pound its way out of her chest. Dean lay on top of her still, only some of his weight supported by his arms on either side of her. Lori lifted her hand, shakily running it through her tangled hair. "Well that was quite the change of pace."

Slowly lifting his head, Dean looked down at her with an eyebrow raised. Lori blushed. "Not that I don't mind this type of change of pace, I mean I _really_ enjoy it, I just meant -" she clamped her mouth shut, her face hot. _Damn my stupid mouth and rambling in front of hot guys._ Dean smirked and shook his head. "You really are something else, short stop."

Lori groaned softly as Dean eased out of her, standing up and offering her a hand. She shook her head, knowing her legs wouldn't support her just yet. Dean grinned widely, bending down to pick up his clothes and toss them into the laundry hamper. Lori watched him move through the room as he dressed in fresh clothes, appreciating all the angles and views she could get of this godlike man.

Once dressed, Dean pulled a large, fluffy bathrobe out and handed it to her. "I would love to have you walk around naked all the time, but I'm not about to share my views with Kevin and my brother." Lori giggled, pushing herself to the side of the bed and accepting his extended hand as he helped her stand. "What about my own clothes? Is there anything left of them?" Lori asked, looking around for them.

Dean scratched the back of his neck, watching her search around the bed. Finding her clothes, Lori held up the remains. The clasp of her bra was bent out of shape and missing a hook, her panties and shorts were both ripped at the waistline, and her tank was torn open halfway down the middle. She turned to face him, holding up her tank top.

Dean's eyes darkened as he smirked at her. "Don't throw that away. You can wear that for my birthday sex, and Christmas sex, and angry sex..." He laughed loudly when Lori tried to hit him over the head with it. Lori grabbed Dean's bathrobe off the bed and quickly shrugged it on, sticking out her tongue as she wrapped it around herself.

"Aw, you're no fun," Dean pouted, grinning and walking up to her. He helped tie the wrap in place around her waist and bent to kiss her on the forehead. Lori sighed contently as Dean wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into an embrace. She rested her cheek on his chest, closing her eyes and listening to the steady beat of his heart.

"I don't think you're stupid, by the way," he said softly into her hair. "If you really think Crowley knows something about you or why you're here, then we'll figure out what it is. Just don't worry about it, okay? We'll get you back home soon."

Lori squeezed her eyes shut, her heart clenched in her chest. She missed her world, missed her friends, hell she even missed her boring job. She missed her mother. She missed arguing about when she would get married and give her mother grandbabies to spoil. Her heart ached for home.

But above all that, her heart ached for this world. This exciting, terrifying, new world. For the man who stood embracing her, comforting and reassuring her when he had plenty of other things on his plate that needed his attention. For his brother, who had bonded with her and even more so with Scout. For Kevin and his sharp wit and sharper mind. How could she leave this world now?

Dean tightened his grip around her. "Don't cry, baby. Don't you cry," he whispered to her, rubbing his thumb along her wet cheek. Lori raised her head, blinking back her tears and looking up at him. She searched his face, looking for some crack in the mask that would show her if he really wanted to send her home. She wanted so badly for him to tell her she didn't have to go. She wanted him to ask her to stay here, with him.

"You should get some rest. I'll go check on Sam and Kevin," Dean said, bending to kiss her forehead. He gave her cheek one last rub before releasing her and stepping out of the room. Lori stood still, chewing on her lip. What else should she have expected? For him to confess his undying love for her? She knew going into this that Dean Winchester didn't get emotionally involved with women. Of course he would want to push away anything that could hurt him the way losing Lisa did.

She told herself time and time again that there wouldn't be anything more than friends-with-benefits with Dean. And she didn't blame him, knowing his past and how he had grown up. She had tried to tell herself that she could enjoy the ride without getting attached. Standing in his room, with the smell of him wrapped around her on his bathrobe, she knew that was a lie. She was attached. Helplessly, completely attached to him. Maybe one day, before they sent her away, she could help heal his damaged heart.


End file.
